Opposition rally aims at ‘Berisha’s end’

TIRANA, Nov 16 – Albanian opposition Socialists and their followers have planned a massive rally this Friday, Nov. 20.
they say that has turned into an obligatory move after the negative answer on their investigation of the June 28 vote which they claim was manipulated by the governing Democrats of Prime Minister Sali Berisha.
Socialists say boycotting the parliament was not a choice but it remained as their only means “to defend democracy from being dramatically distorted as a result of the distortion of the elections; in order to fight for the freedom and the rights that are being eroded as the result of the transformation of the executive into an oligarchic regime, that is pushing Albania towards a closed political model; in order not to allow the real Albania to lose its voice and its dignity when faced with the Albania of corrupt governance and imaginary successes.”
Berisha and Democrats say that the Socialists’ boycott is obstructing the country’s European integration, which the latter deny.
“This problem cannot be solved by covering it up under claims that “these elections were better than all the others, but once again, were not good enough to live up to the standards,” nor can it be solved by entering parliament unconditionally at a moment when Parliament has transformed into the National Council of Berisha’s party,” they say.
For the moment each side is keeping strong in its stand.
The Socialists say they will not give up boycott, despite the international calls as well, unless the proper investigation of what they call as manipulation of the June 28 vote is held from a parliamentary investigative commission.
The Democrats. On their side, agree to the idea of creating the commission but also say that it cannot open the ballot boxes which were considered by the proper legal electoral institutions.
The Socialists have launched since Oct 10 a series of protests nationwide and will likely peak them with the Friday one in capital Tirana.
They say they will not stop them until their demand are fulfilled.
That has resulted in a practical ‘freezing’ of the country’s life as the parliament may not pass many laws that require three-fifth or 84 votes, which the Democrats cannot collect without the opposition numbers.
The opposition is boycotting the parliament and also the partial local elections of Nov. 15 to protest against the manipulation of the vote count at the June 28 parliamentary elections.
The opposition has won 64 seats in the 140-seat parliament (one left last month to create a separate political party). Their ally, the Human Rights Union Party is taking part in the parliamentary session.
The Democrats won 68 seats and their two small allies the Republican Party and the Party for Integration and Justice one each. Ilir Meta’s Socialist Movement for Integration won four seats.
That make-up of the parliament means that Berisha’s government cannot adopt the key laws on country reforms, needed for EU integration as well as for visa liberalization, without the opposition vote. They ask for a three-fifth or 84 votes.
“The refusal to open the ballot boxes, thus granting the people the right to shed light on the choice they made on June 28th, is living proof of the great fear Sali Berisha has from the truth. But it is also proof of the great truth that we will continue to defend without fear and without hesitation to the end, until the moment when our legitimate demands are met; until the moment when Albania is returned once and for all to its citizens, without fear of falling prey to the next party in power,” said Socialists leader Edi Rama at last week’s rally in southwestern port city of Vlora.