Opposition holds week of protests

TIRANA, Dec 15 – The opposition started this week another set of protests around the country asking for the opening of the June 28 parliamentary elections ballot boxes or the government to resign.
The Socialists held a protest Monday in the port city Durres and the next day in central Berat.
“We shall make 2010 the year of the freedom of vote and we shall protest to remove this government which grabbed the votes,” said Socialist Leader Edi Rama.
The socialists have pledged to hold protests in other cities like Elbasan, Korca, Vlora Shkodra and Lezha and then let some free days for the new year festivities.
The Socialists claim that the governing Democrats of Prime Minister Sali Berisha deformed the voting process in at least one-third of the counting offices. They are asking a recount of the votes though at first did not claim they wanted to change the voting results which they had recognized.
They wanted a parliamentary commission to investigate that.
But the governing Democrats did not agree saying the votes and all claims of irregularities were decided by the proper legal electoral institutions. Opening the ballot boxes would be a violation of justice, they said.
The Socialists then boycotted the new parliament and have pledged to continue that until the ballot boxes were opened and the country freed the voting results.
Post-communist Albania has never held a free and fair election according to full international standards.
The Socialist and their ally won 65 seats in the 140-seat parliament. The Democrats and their allies won 71 and the Socialist Movement for Integration that joined their governing coalition, four seats.