Opposition to resume street protests

TIRANA, Oct. 5 – Opposition political parties decided Tuesday to resume street protests all around the country in the second half of October.
Leaders of the opposition political parties, headed from the Socialist Tirana Mayor Edi Rama, convened at the G99 offices, located next to Prime Minister Sali Berisha’s apartment in downtown Tirana.
They said that protests would resume all around the country likely by Oct. 18.
They did not decide a date for a big rally to be held in capital Tirana.
The opposition claims vote count manipulation in last year’s parliamentary elections. They want a partial recount.
But the governing Democrats say that would violate the laws and the constitution. They say the opposition should first make the request to the Constitutional Court and then they could proceed with asking the Venice Commission to decide whether ballot boxes should be open or not.
The opposition recognized the elections last year, but they did not enter the parliament. They also held continuous protests around the country and in Tirana. The boycott continued until February this year when international mediation from the Council of Europe convinced them to return to parliament. After that the parliament tried to create an investigative commission but not as the Socialists wanted.
After that they resumed protests to culminate with a hunger strike in front of the premier’s office at Tirana’s main boulevard.
The strike ended again with international mediation from the European Parliament.
The two top leaders and close aides were invited for a dinner in Strasbourg and it seemed that could resolve the political deadlock.
But nothing resulted after that.
In July the Socialists decided to be present in parliament but not to take part in any voting. The leaders of the parliamentary groupings resumed talks with each other on creating a new investigative commission. But everything stops when the Socialists mention the idea of opening the ballot boxes in some areas to be recounted.
Nothing has been achieved so far and it seems the deadlock may continue for ever.
The country needs a lot of reforms for the integration process which require three-fifth or 84 votes in parliament. That figure cannot be achieved without the opposition presence.
Next year the country will hold in May the local elections and the electoral code also needs amendments that cannot be done without the opposition.
So the question remains what the protests will bring about.