No final results; Preliminary results give Tirana to Socialists

TIRANA, May 18 – The May 8 local election’s final results remain undecided as the Central Election Commission (CEC) and political parties continue daily scuffling over the validity of votes. A CEC decision to include the uncounted votes in the result lists angered the opposition Socialists. On Wednesday the commission started to open the uncounted ballots. There have been continued heated debates about this issue, which took the opposition to the point of calling for protests against the government. Though the CEC has been under pressure to announce the preliminary results of the Tirana election, they referred to an unprecedented issue of counting the uncounted ballots. The US, EU and OSCE ambassadors have made daily shuttle diplomatic trips with CEC head Arben Ristani, Prime Minister Sali Berisha, opposition leader Edi Rama and President Bamir Topi asking them not to delay the announcement of the preliminary results of the crucial Tirana race, where ballot counting ended last Saturday. Calm, control and refrain from violence was also urged.
Preliminary data from counting stations of the May 8 local elections show that incumbent mayor and opposition leader Edi Rama has a 10 vote lead, out of 250,623 valid ballots cast, over his ruling Democratic Party rival Lulzim Basha in the race for Tirana.
The Democrats have already contested the results, arguing that they have found ballots in favor of Basha in two Tirana districts which were cast in the ballot boxes for city council, which would put Basha in the lead.
The CEC, which is controlled by the ruling Democrats, has repeatedly refused calls by opposition representatives to announce the preliminary results of the poll.
On Wednesday US Ambassador Alexander Arvizu also hinted that preliminary results could have been announced in order to avoid the current tense situation. “I think it would have been a good idea for the CEC to announce even preliminarily the official results even as a baseline. I think it would have been a helpful step because that would have enabled subsequent challenges or issues, including on whether to count the stray ballots or misplaced ballots,” he said Wednesday in an interview with a local TV station. It is clear that the new Electoral Code, passed by both main political parties before the 2009 general elections, has some flaws; but it provides the only available basis on which to conduct elections.. Regardless, the international community has urged the Electoral Code be reviewed once polls are over. The May 8 poll was seen as key test for Albania’s democratic credentials after a nearly two year-long political crisis and the January 21 anti-government protests which left four protestors dead and dozens wounded.
Edi Rama of the opposition Socialist Party claims to have won his fourth consecutive term as Tirana Mayor in the local elections held in Albania on May 8. The dramatic vote count is said to have ended with Rama being ten votes ahead his rival Lulzim Basha of the ruling Democratic Party, local media reported on Saturday. “To me, there were 10 more ballots, but for all those who fought for me, it was like a mark of 10,” Rama told supporters. Basha did not concede defeat saying he would wait for the final results and that the Central Election Commission was still calculating the numbers. “If at the end of this process Mr. Rama is the winner, I will send best wishes to him,” said Basha, also speaking in front of supporters at the party headquarters. Prime Minister Sali Berisha called on both sides to remain calm and wait for the final results from the Central Election Commission. During the month-long electoral campaign, police reported about 60 violent incidents, including explosions, several stabbings, beatings and threats that have led to about a dozen arrests. In January, political violence peaked with riots in which four opposition Socialists supporters were shot dead. “I make a friendly call on all militants of the Democratic Party, and at the same time of all the other political forces, to wait for the finalization of the process in a civil manner,” Berisha said. Berisha also hinted that such a narrow result in Tirana would be challenged. Overall, preliminary results show the opposition leading in the cities and the Democrats winning a majority in rural areas. Voter turnout was 50.9 percent of 3.2 million registered voters. It will be a few weeks before election authorities give the final formal results.