Berisha to lead center-right coalition of 24 parties, Rama will lead a 39-party center-left coalition. Spahiu and Topi to go at it alone.
TIRANA, April 24 – The governing Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the main opposition Socialist Party of Edi Rama have concluded coalition agreements with smaller parties for the June 23 parliamentary elections. Berisha will lead a center-right conservative coalition of 24 parties, while Rama will lead a 39-party center-left coalition.
Two parties have opted to not join any coalition: The New Democratic Spirit of former President Bamir Topi and the nationalist Red-and-Black Alliance of Kreshnik Spahiu.
Both coalitions say they will focus on the economy and Albania’s EU integration.
On one side, Berisha’s conservatives will continue to stick to the flat tax and have pledged employment for some 250,000 persons over the next four years, which will be their third term in a row if they win. Berisha has traditional partners in the coalition, like the Republican Party and the Christian Democrats, and new additions include the Cham community’s Justice, Integration and Unity Party.
While Rama’s Socialists are trying to come to power after eight years in opposition and they are sticking to the progressive tax, some 300,000 new jobs and also the fight against government corruption.
The Socialists have rejoined forces with the Socialist Movement for Integration Party and also the traditional partners like the Social Democrats or the Greek minority’s Human Rights Union Party.
There were tough negotiations with Spahiu’s Red-and-Balck Aliance, but the two could not come to an agreement.
