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WORLD NEWS Saturday 29 June 2019

Albania’s local election is a test for its democracy

By LLAZAR SEMINI cratic Party-led opposition
Associated Press of Lulzim Basha, the issue
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Al- is not really the local vote,
bania’s municipal elections however. They are try-
don’t normally provoke ing to force the calling of
much interest beyond the early parliamentary elec-
country’s border, but the tions, claiming widespread
holding of this weekend’s government corruption,
vote — or failure to do so vote-rigging and links to
— appears decisive for the organized crime. They are
tiny Western Balkan country boycotting the vote. Ear-
in its bid to start full mem- lier in June, President Ilir
bership negotiations with Meta announced that he
the European Union. was canceling the elec-
While the Socialist-run gov- tions, claiming they would
ernment is insisting on hold- be “undemocratic” with-
ing the election, the oppo- out the participation of the
sition is boycotting the vote center-right opposition. On
and says it will stop it taking Thursday he said the vote
place. Albania’s president, would now take place on
sympathetic to the opposi- Oct. 13.
tion, has gone one step fur- Prime Minister Edi Rama of
ther by declaring that the the ruling left-wing Socialist
vote is canceled, a deci- Albanian prime minister Edi Rama attends the last election rally in Vlora, southern Albania, Friday, Party, however, continues
sion that the government is June 28, 2019. to insist that the elections
refusing to abide by. Associated Press will take place as sched-
“Unfortunately we are tinues. toward launching the EU ered key for the launch of uled Sunday. Rama accus-
showing our democracy is Leaders of the Organiza- negotiations.” the EU membership talks for es the opposition of trying
immature, weak and cor- tion for Security and Coop- Police prevented a group the nation, which is already to disrupt efforts to launch
rupt,” said Skender Minx- eration in Europe, which is of opposition supporters a NATO member. EU membership negotia-
hozi, an independent sending 280 election ob- from getting near the So- Earlier this month, the EU tions.
analyst. “We are unable servers, and the embassies cialists’ rally. In a related postponed the start of The Socialists have started a
to reach a sustainable dia- of the United States and incident in Dibra in eastern membership talks with Al- lengthy procedure to oust
logue and compromises.” the European Union in Ti- Albania, police used tear bania, as well as North Meta, though they don’t
After months of rowdy and rana on Friday called on gas to push away oppo- Macedonia, despite warn- have the two-thirds major-
sometimes violent opposi- Albanian political leaders sition supporters trying to ings a delay could under- ity they need in parliament,
tion protests, where dem- to show restraint, engage in enter the election offices mine reform efforts and sta- and the final say anyway
onstrators have hurled pro- a “constructive dialogue” there. bility in the Balkans region. is with the Constitutional
jectiles at police officers and ensure that Sunday’s In a similar incident Thurs- Sunday’s vote is due to Court, which has been de-
who have responded with election is peaceful. It day, three policemen were elect mayors, town councils funct for the past year after
tear gas, the stage is set for added that “both the per- injured by exploding gaso- and district parliaments for its judges were fired.
a tense confrontation on petrators and instigators of line bombs. Police arrested the next four years. Some Minxhozi says the opposi-
Sunday. violent acts should be held 15 people who were alleg- 3.5 million people are eli- tion has failed to topple
The United States, the Eu- legally accountable.” edly destroying election gible to vote — that in itself Rama but has managed to
ropean Union, other inter- The ruling Socialists held materials and the prime is a problem, as the popu- hurt the country’s image.
national organizations and their final pre-electoral rally minister fired the town’s lation of Albania is only 2.9 “It has weakened Rama,
big Western powers have in the southwestern port mayor. million. The other names but has not toppled him.
repeatedly called on the city of Vlora, where thou- Holding a free and fair elec- on the electoral register It has damaged elec-
opposition to avoid vio- sands of supporters gath- tion has been post-com- represent Albania’s huge tions, but has not stopped
lence and to engage in a ered with national flags. munist Albania’s Achilles’ overseas diaspora, but no them,” he said, adding
dialogue to resolve the po- Prime Minister Edi Rama heel, with regular reports of facilities are provided to al- that “such a tense situation
litical deadlock. Though vi- accused the opposition of shortcomings, vote rigging low Albanians outside the hurts EU negotiations and
olence has been reduced having a “plan aiming at and violence. The move to- country to vote. has withered democratic
recently, the standoff con- downing Albania’s efforts ward democracy is consid- For the center-right Demo- standards.”q