TIRANA, June 28 – Albania’s ruling Socialist Party has won a governing majority in the country’s parliamentary elections, gaining 74 seats in the 140-member parliament, according to official data following the counting of all ballots.
Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialists will be able to govern alone after four years in a coalition in government with the Socialist Movement for Integration.
Rama said in a social media statement Monday morning the results were “a masterpiece by the common people of this country.”
In his victory speech at a rally in Skanderbeg Square Rama thanked all supporters and added he will work the benefit of all Albanians, whether they voted for him or not.
“This victory is also a great responsibility that we must bear,” he told newly-elected lawmakers.
Basha used moderate language and thanked the opposition leader, Lulzim Basha, for deciding not to boycott the elections, saying the opposition leader had done what was best for Albania. “He chose Albania,” Rama said.
The Socialists chief rival, the center-right Democratic Party, scored one of its worst results in its 27-year history, coming in second with 43 seats. Polls ahead of the elections did show the Democrats were unlikely to win, but the negative numbers came as a surprise to many.
The party will now hold an election to allow members to vote on whether they want to keep the party leader, Lulzim Basha, in office.
SMI has declared it will be part of the opposition after coming in third with 19 seats in parliament. SMI ends its eight years in power in successive DP- and SP-led governments in which SMI served as kingmaker.
Party of Justice, Integration and Unity was able to win three seats in parliament, while the Social Democrats won one seat. No other parties were able to get seats.
CEC data showed a 46 percent turnout, down from 53 percent in 2013.
Several leading voices within the Democratic Party are calling for the immediate resignation of DP’s chairman, Lulzim Basha, who has said he won’t quit and will stand for re-election on July 22, when he as scheduled an internal leadership election in which all party members can vote.
Besnik Mustafaj, a respected voice within the Democratic Party, urged the leader to resign to open the way for a proper democratic election to find his replacement.
“I ask Basha to resign immediately so an internal election process can take place within the party, giving enough time for potential candidates to show alternatives so that we Democrats can judge their capacities,” Mustafaj wrote in an op-ed piece.
