Tirana Times
ELBASAN, Nov. 27 – Albanian opposition Socialist Party last Friday resumed anti-government protests, accusing the government of corruption and mismanagement of public funds.
The Socialists of Tirana Mayor Edi Rama led the protests joined by some other minor parties, claiming vote counting in last year’s parliamentary elections was rigged to ensure governing Democrats’ Prime Minister Sali Berisha be re-elected.
The opposition ended a six-month pause in the protests, resuming with a rally in the central city of Elbasan, 55 kilometers south of Tirana. They said other protest rallies would follow.
They also blamed the government of failing to convince the European Union to extend Albania official EU candidate status.
“Let’s take this battle ahead. It is difficult, asking for sacrifices and patience, will and passion for our country which we want to be liberate from the usurpers of the elections, from the clutches of the organized crime and corruption, who want to reinstall their dictatorship over the Albanians’ aspirations for freedom and rights,” said Rama, who was also joined by leaders of other smaller opposition coalition partners.
Though the Socialists recognized elections last year, they first boycotted the parliament, then started street protests, which escalated to a public hunger strike. Now they take part in parliament’s sessions but do not take part in any voting, making it hard for the country to pass much-needed reforms especially those linked to the integration steps toward the EU.
International efforts of mediation have failed so far. First the Council of Europe managed to end their boycott. Then the European Parliament and EU’s Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele’s office tried hard to reach a compromise between the two ever-squabbling political parties but to no avail.
The prime minister, who controls 75 of parliament’s 140 seats, has rejected their calls for a re-count, which recently has been left aside from the opposition, now asking for the investigation of all election documentation instead.
Earlier this month, Albania got the go ahead for the visa liberalization from Brussels, but a strong no to its request for the candidate status.
The next step is for political parties in Albania to agree to complete electoral reform ahead of the May 2011 local elections, OSCE head of Mission Eugen Wollfarth said on Nov. 25. “It is important to work on the reform in a democratic manner and for the debates to take place inside parliament,” Wollfarth said during a meeting with representatives of the municipality of Durres. Earlier this month, the government invited various political parties to meet and start work on the reform, but the opposition seems unwilling.
