Heading for crisis, opposition withdraws elections registration

TIRANA, March 9 – In a new escalation of the political crisis in Albania, the opposition says it will withdraw its registration with the Central Elections Commission, taking the first official step to boycotting the next parliamentary elections scheduled for June 18. The opposition says that to guarantee they will be free and fair, elections can only be held under the supervision of a caretaker government, known as a “technical government” in Albania, and it won’t participate in any elections until Prime Minister Edi Rama resigns. The opposition says the Socialist-led government will use money from criminal sources to buy…