The electoral race continues in the capital Tirana with counting prolonged, often deliberately by one or the other contesting political parties. The opposition wins most of the urban areas while the governing Democrats most of the rural areas.
Tirana Times
TIRANA, May 12 – Albania’s opposition Socialist Party claims victory in capital Tirana but also in most of the other cities in the country, though the governing Democratic Party also claims victory in the capital.
This follows a tight political race between the two political opponents following Sunday’s voting in the local polls.
More than 50.9% of voters cast their ballots calmly; while the parties traded charges of irregularities and threats, but avoided the angry outbursts often seen in the past.
The contest was divided between the candidates of the Socialist-led ‘Alliance for the Future’ and the ruling Democratic Party’s ‘Alliance for Citizens.’
The international observers present in the process were reluctant to give a ‘definition’ on how the polls were conducted.
The former communist country has never held elections deemed fully free and fair, and Sunday’s local elections are considered a test of its readiness for European Union candidate status, an important step towards membership.
There is yet to be any final result on who has won the position of mayor in the capital, Tirana, where opposition Socialist Party leader and current mayor Edi Rama runs for his fourth termנthis time against former Interior Minister Lulzim Basha of the governing Democrats.
The main parties disagreed on Sunday over whether the elections had met EU standards.
Sunday’s vote was the first test of support for Berisha’s government since the general elections in 2009. Campaigning was marred by explosions and scuffles.
“Albania cannot miss the opportunity to demonstrate that it is conducting elections in line with European and international standards,” EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele said.
His spokeswoman Natasa Buttler hailed the large turnout and also the quiet voting Sunday. But she declined to reply how they considered their holding, referring to the ODIHR monitoring mission’s report.
A top-level EU team will visit Albania in late May.
