Albanian Opposition Leader attempts to inspire voters through Romania protests

Tirana, Albania (Tirana Echo) – Albanian Opposition leader Lulzim Basha, Chair of the Democratic Party has called on people to take the example of Romania’s protests as an inspiration for the upcoming February 18^th protest planned in Albania.

Using the Romanian protests as an illustration, Basha has called on his party faithful to get out to the streets against the Rama government with the same determination as Romanian citizens have shown during the past days.

“An example of popular courage from Romanian citizens. On the 18 February we rise together in Tirana” writes Basha in his Facebook page.

As Romanian protests have managed to force their government to back off from plans easing penalties for corrupt politicians, Albania’s opposition is hoping to use the same momentum in Albania.

However, in contrast to Romania, Albania lack real civil society organizations and its opposition is at all times low on almost every credible poll.

Since former leader and Prime Minister Sali Berisha left the leadership of the Democratic Party to his younger successor Lulzim Basha, the DP has suffered from internal incoherence, weak leadership and has tumbled in its public support.

According to the latest poll conducted in January by Follow Business Albania, although the Democratic Party gets more votes than the 2013 local elections, the opposition block lags at around 10% behind its Socialist Party camp, which if it runs together with its junior partner LSI would most certainly win another mandate.