Socialists and Democrats announce latest round of local administrative election candidates
TIRANA, April 16 – As the major parties announced their final candidates for the upcoming elections, the new crop of Albania’s mayors will be decided in key races that feature diversity in age and gender.
This week the last of the candidates were announced by the ruling Socialist Party and the main opposition Democratic Party for the local administrative elections scheduled to be held on June 21.
Tirana, the country’s largest municipality, will see a race between Welfare Minister Erion Veliaj, 35, Prime Minister Edi Rama’s heir apparent and long-time civil society activist — and former Health Minister Halim Kosova, 60, one of the country’s best known obstetricians and a man respected for his civilized discourse in a country where aggressive language dominates politics.
The second largest municipality, Durres, will see a race between the Democrats’ Grida Duma, 37, a university professor who saw a quick rise in the party thanks to her media-savvy approach to politics, and incumbent Socialist Vangjush Dako, 49, who is seeking his third term as Durres mayor.
Socialists also released the names of their candidates for other municipalities. Dritan Leli, a medical doctor, is running for mayor in Vlora. In Saranda, Floriana Koka, a journalist, is the Socialists’ choice. Both cities are currently ruled by Socialist mayors who are not running again through party decisions.
The Democratic Party chose Duma over Agron Duka of ally Republican Party after much debate that threatened the coalition. The Republicans were given other major cities to run their candidates, and they said they would support Duma in Durres.
The Democrats are yet to announce a candidate in Shkodra, one of the largest municipalities, while the Socialists are running a young businesswoman, Keti Bazhdari, who is already campaigning in the Democratic Party stronghold.
The two largest political forces in Albania’s ruling leftist coalition, the Socialist Party and the Socialist Movement for Integration, have agreed to run joint candidates across the country in the upcoming local administrative elections, with 15 candidates out 61 being proposed by the SMI.
The Socialists and Democrats have similar arrangements with a handful of other small parties.
There are also a series of independent candidates vying to take votes from the two largest parties. They include Gjergj Bojaxhi, a former manager of Albania’s power corporation, who is running for mayor of Tirana.
Incumbent Tirana Mayor Lulzim Basha decided not to seek reelection in order to pursue the prime minister’s seat in two years time. He is currently the opposition leader as head of the Democratic Party.
This is the first time mayoral elections will be held based on a new territorial division of the country, from 384 city halls and communes before to just 61 municipalities or bashkis, which the leftist majority has said will cut costs and also increase efficiency of their management.
