Opposition ends annual protests

TIRANA, Dec. 22 – Socialist Party leader Edi Rama declared on Monday there would be no dialogue with the government on a partial recount of the June 28 parliamentary election ballot.
Speaking at the last anti-government protest of the year Rama warned of renewed protests from the opposition after the holiday season is over.
Rama said that in 2010 the economic crisis will explode, starting with higher electricity prices decided this week. He accused Prime Minister Sali Berisha of hiding the effects of the crisis and is increasing its levels with the expenditure during the electoral campaign while not undertaking any preventive step.
The Socialists pledged to turn 2010 into a year of protests on the economic crisis.
The Socialists have not taken part in the parliament claiming there have been ‘deforming’ results from the June 28 parliamentary election. They want to open a considerable number of ballot boxes to recount the ballots, or have the government resign.
The government has denied the manipulation and has also said opening of the ballot boxes would break the laws following the verdicts of the legal authorities during the election process. They want the opposition to return to parliament to hold the debate.
During his speech, Rama compared Berisha and Parliament Speaker Jozefina Topalli to the ‘last Stalinist’ referring to the late communist dictator of the Soviet Union.
Albanians were reminded Monday of Stalin’s name, which had been his birthday, very much celebrated during the former communist regime.
Both political sides started to call names to each other using Stalin’s name.
Rama said they were determined to the last moment to open the ballot boxes of the June 28 poll.
He said the opposition also agreed to sit down and talk with the governing Democrats but vote recount was not included in that.
Berisha also invited the Socialist to a debate but excluding recounting of the ballot boxes saying that would violate the law as they were decided by the Electoral College
The Socialists have 65 seats in the 140-seat parliament, together with one ally. Berisha’s Democrats and their allies have 71 seats. The latter are also joined by four lawmakers of the leftist Socialist Movement for Integration.