No postponing of elections says Albanian Premier

Tirana, Albania | Tirana Echo – There will be no postponing of upcoming June elections and no technical government says Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama in a fresh blow to opposition democrats demanding his resignation.

Speaking in front of his socialist national assembly in Tirana, Prime Minister and Socialist Party (SP) Chair Edi Rama said he will not accept the postponement of the election date, or the establishment of a technical government ahead of the June 18 parliamentary elections.

Rama added that even if the opposition decides to boycott the elections the country will not remain without an opposition, as new names and new banners will replace the Democratic Party and its junior allies.

“The DP and its allies do not hold the monopoly of opposition in the country, and nobody would try to stop them from losing their bearings, if they continue in the same direction, Albania will hold free and fair elections on 18 June 2017,” Rama said to a crowd of SP militants and senior people.

The Head of SP National Assembly, Gramoz Ruçi, said in this event that three issues were non-negotiable for the SP: the full implementation of the Albanian Constitution, the conclusion of the vetting of judges and prosecutors, and the establishment of a technical government.

Former minister of interior Saimir Tahiri who was dismissed last month went a step further adding that there’s no better coalition than that with the citizens.

“We don’t want a coalition to gather votes only, but to govern our citizens. the SP will win, even if it goes it alone, even with everyone against, the SP will win“, said Tahiri in a clear message to LSI’s leadership which had been critical of his affairs as minister of interior.

Meanwhile, as Albania’s opposition enters its 44th day of protest, the two main center-left coalition partners SP and LSI battle to forge a new governing coalition deal amid unclear messages and foggy political climate in the country.