Opposition united again for Tirana budget

TIRANA, March 31 – The smaller opposition Socialist Movement for Integration joined forces with its big ally leading the Tirana city hall council, opposition Socialist Party, to approve the annual budget that had been delayed following their previous dispute.
The governing Democratic Party counselors expressed their dissatisfaction and then boycotted the voting process.
The budget had been delayed since February when the SMI counselor joined forces with the governing Democrats to turn it down. That was also a sign of the dispute between the two opposition parties that has started since last year after the constitutional amendments on the electoral code.
Recently the SMI leader Ilir Meta seemed to have changed his stance on the collaboration with the Socialists ahead of the parliamentary elections of June 28 saying they would be allies with them, not the Democrats, but only after the polls were held.
As a sign of such a new partnership the SMI gave their vote to the Tirana city hall budget.