Opposition in new protests

TIRANA, March 9 – Albanian opposition Socialist Party leader Edi Rama confirmed on Monday that his party will participate in the May 8th local elections, but also added only if they were guaranteed a free and fair process.
Speaking at a summit of European Socialists held in Athens, Rama pointed out the urgent need for a solution to the political stalemate in Albania. The European Socialists expressed concern about developments in Albania and criticised the government for what they described as authoritarian actions.
A day later Rama declared from Pogradec in eastern Albania that the opposition will participate in the local elections in order to remove from power the current government of Prime Minister Sali Berisha.
The opposition has started a series of meetings all around the country trying to keep supporters motivated around their slogan “the fault is with Sali.”
Rama says that every Albanian in opposition, socialist, progressive, or whatever, should be united to say to Prime Minister Berisha that” we do not need a government that steals the votes to steal Albania, and then kills to continue to steal.”
Meanwhile the Socialist Party submitted a request at the Central Election Commission to register for the local elections.
Fifty-four political parties will run for the May 8 local authorities polls.
Last weekend the CEC appointed commissions of electoral zones throughout the country ahead of the May 8th local vote. Opposition parties, including the main one, the Socialist Party, have refused to meet deadlines in nominating commission candidates, insisting they want to see improvements in the process, to avoid a repeat of the June 2009 general elections. The CEC ended up replacing opposition members with representatives of the civil society to fill the 66 commissions.
Leading opposition Socialist Party of Albania has announced a new wave of protests, in which they will demand resignation of government and call for early parliamentary elections.
They held one on March 8 in Tirana, in which women condemned Berisha.
The next protest gathering is scheduled for March 15.
that will also be held to commemorate the 26 Albanians killed from the blast three years ago in Gerdec, the private ammunition disposal plant for which there is no one to blame yet.
The local media has also reported some rumours of a new hunger strike in front of the government building in Tirana, which will not stop until interior minister Lulzim Basha resigns. They accuse him also for the four dead Albanians of the Jan. 21 demonstration. The opposition accuses security service members for shooting at the protesters without a reason.
Opposition protests have been going on for more than two months, ever since Deputy Prime Minister Ilir Meta was accused of being corrupted, after which he had to resign. That followed another series they have been holding since the June 28, 2009 parliamentary elections for which they accuse the government of manipulating part of its counting process, though they have formally accepted their results.
The opposition accuses government of being utterly corrupted, saying they should resign and call for early elections, particularly because Prime Minister Berisha is claimed to have reached his position by stealing votes, which he denied repeatedly.
The international pressure, meanwhile, refers always to the May 8 local elections which should be the next democratic step in the political fight.