Albania's Politicians Continue Poll Row


Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha and opposition leader Edi Rama continue their verbal joust, which has kept the local political scene on its tiptoes for the last month, over the June 28 national elections.

Rama's Socialist Party is contesting the results of the parliamentary poll, seeking an investigation into alleged improprieties, and a recount. The party's 64 deputies are boycotting parliament, bringing major reforms to a virtual standstill.

On the other side the right-wing Berisha, claims that the election results represent the will of the electorate and, while accepting a parliamentary investigation into the poll, claims a recount is not viable.

Speaking in a Wednesday cabinet meeting, Berisha said that the courts had ruled on the election and that politicians could not circumvent their authority.

“The four voting regions where the opposition is seeking an investigation have already been reviewed by the judicial system,” said Berisha. “The request to impose political will above the ruling of the courts is absurd,” he added.

Responding to Berisha's statement, in what has become an almost daily ritual, Rama told a press conference that his party's battle to bring clarity to the election process was not over.

“This issue has not been resolved yet and we will do the impossible so it is not closed,” he said. “Albania today is at a crossroads and its main democratic institutions are in danger,” he warned.

On June 10, the Socialist Party staged a rally in Tirana, calling for a recount of the election ballots. The rally was attended by several thousand party supporters and was also backed by several minor opposition parties and various civil society groups.

An OSCE/ODIHR report on the parliamentary poll noted tangible progress with regard to the voter registration and identification processes, and in reform of the overall legal framework governing the election.

Although the electoral process was deemed an improvement on previous polls, it still did not meet internationally recognised election standards. Despite the Socialists' boycott, not everyone in the party agrees that the elections were stolen.

A group of deputies, headed by former ministers Ben Blushi and Arben Malaj, have contested the boycott and questioned Rama’s leadership, blaming him for what they say was a poorly run election campaign.

The EU and OSCE have also called on Rama to end the boycott.