Rama threatening not to recognize results

TIRANA, July 26 – Main opposition Socialist Party leader Edi Rama harshly criticized the Electoral College and the Central Elections Commission for failing to apply the law in considering their claims of manipulation of the vote.
In his first reaction last weekend after the Electoral College concluded the cases in Fier, Berat, Shkdora and Tirana, Rama criticized them for being under Prime Minister Sali Berisha’s tutelage and threatened he would not recognize the election results.
According to the results, Berisha’s governing Democrats together with Republicans and Justice for Integration parties have won 70 seats in the 140-seat parliament, the Socialists have 66 and the Socialist Movement for Integration of Ilir Meta has four seats.
Meta has agreed to form a government with Berisha, thus securing the required numbers to do so.
The CEC may likely make the formal statement on the final results over the weekend after it makes all the required calculations.
The Socialists were to hold an assembly to judge their election results.
The political fight is reaching new levels with the opposition threatening to not recognize the results and to organize street protests, while the government is making almost daily announcements to show its success with the election mandate and the guarantee for the next four years.