Albanian Prime Minister Ilir Meta claimed Monday his Socialist Party won first-round elections in the dirt-poor country, whose stability is crucial for the region. However, the opposition also claimed victory.
International election monitors meanwhile approved the ballots Sunday, which were largely free of the violence which has marred previous polls in the Balkan country.
The Socialists, who swept to power in 1997 after Albania had descended into virtual armed anarchy, said they are to win and continue Albania's path towards European integration.
"The Socialists have won," party head Meta told AFP after the first-round ballots, which are to be followed by run-off ballots in two weeks' time.
"We are convinced of the victory of the Socialists which will lead Albania into Europe," said Musa Ulqini. Another party official said they won 45 election districts, lost 17 and were facing a run-off with the Democrats in 37.
However, opposition Democratic Party (DS) leader Sali Berisha, a former president, earlier appeared equally confident of victory.
"We have won the legislatives with an absolute majority," Berisha declared on private television late Sunday. Opposition leader Shpetim Rroqi said Monday that Berisha's coalition had won 34 districts.
"All these figures seem a little fantastic and are more bluff than reality," said one observer from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which is monitoring the polls.
According to well-informed independent sources, Meta's party was in the lead. Official results were expected later Monday. A second round of ballots could be held in two weeks' time if the first round is not decisive.
Berisha was ousted four years ago after widespread protests at the collapse of government-run investment plans including so-called "Pyramid" schemes. The protests descended into armed chaos after arms dumps were looted countrywide.
Meta's Socialist-led government was widely applauded for its role during the 1998 Kosovo war, when the country -- still among Europe's poorest -- was swamped with refugees from neighbouring Kosovo.
The Socialists hope their success in stabilizing Albania, and in finally generating economic growth in a country ravaged by decades of Enver Hoxha's isolationism, will give them a second poll victory in a row.
But the Democrats claim the outgoing government has failed to crack down on corruption, and Berisha accused the Socialists of vote-rigging even before the elections Sunday.
After the polls, supporters of both sides staged noisy celebrations in the capital Tirana overnight.
A number of minor incidents that disrupted polling were reported, but there was no widespread violence in a country where several thousand weapons are still held by civilians.
But the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which monitored the ballots, said they went off properly, despite the violent incidents.
"The Albanian parliamentary elections mark progress towards international standards," said Bruce George, OSCE special coordinator, expressing the support of the EU and OSCE for the results of the elections.
Since 1992, when the communist regime fell in Albania, every election result has been hotly contested and the two main political parties have traded accusations of election fraud.
The election commission said 60 percent of the 2.5 million eligible voters had cast ballots. Voters were asked to choose from 1,114 candidates representing 38 parties vying for 140 parliamentary seats.
Diplomats are concerned that Albania remain stable, in particular as violence involving ethnic Albanian refugees continues to escalate in neighbouring Macedonia.
"I hope Mr. Berisha will be reasonable and not contest the elections as he did after the municipal polls in October," said Doris Pack, head of the European parliament's delegation watching the Albanian polls.
Another said: "There is concern that after both sides declared victory, there will be disappointment or even real anger among the losers in the coming days." |
