Tirana, Albania | Tirana Echo – Albania’s opposition democratic party protested today against the socialist government of PM Edi Rama, but its leaders failed to inspire the Romanian momentum as promised.
Tens of thousands supporters of the Albanian opposition gathered today in the main boulevard of Tirana in front of the PM Office and the Parliament HQ, calling for the government to resign and hand over power to a technical body which can guarantee free and fair elections.
Opposition leader Lulzim Basha called on the protesters to stay in the boulevard until this government has resigned.
“We will stay here until we ensure once for all free and fair elections. I will stay here and I invite all of you to stand together to ensure free and fair elections which can only come through the removal of this government of crime and by establishing a technical government. This is my decision. We rise up together and we win together. Albania gains with us” – said Basha in front of the crowd.
Prime Minister Edi Rama reacted through his Facebook page by posting a live video feed of the protest while posting that only 6 years ago four people “were murdered from the guns of the state, in the same boulevard where today they are protesting, without barbed wire and without fear or pressure from the state” – recalling the 21 January 2011 socialist protest turned violent where 4 people were left dead.
At the end of today’s peaceful protest, Basha called on protesters to stay on until this government is gone.
“Today we start the path towards a new beginning. Either we’ll have free elections, or there will be no elections. There’s no other way. We will not accept stained elections” – added Basha, suggesting that the upcoming general elections may be put at risk if the opposition’s requests are not fulfilled.
Many protesters decided afterwards to set up tents in the middle of the boulevard, as a reminder of old demonstrations of the socialist party when they were in opposition.
However, despite calls by democratic leader Lulzim Basha that Albania will repeat the Romania scenario, today’s protest failed to gain the Romanian momentum, disappointing many people unhappy with the current socialist government.
Most protesters left the square by the evening while only a handful was left setting up tents.
Albania will hold general parliamentary elections in June 18th while during the same period the current parliament has to elect the new President of the country, in an unprecedented electoral framework.
Since 1992, every election held in Albania has been disputed or criticized by international observers for their irregularities.
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