ALBANIA: ALBANIA'S MAIN OPPOSITION SOCIALIST PARTY SAYS IT IS PULLING OUT OF ELECTION

Record ID: 566051

  • Title: ALBANIA: ALBANIA'S MAIN OPPOSITION SOCIALIST PARTY SAYS IT IS PULLING OUT OF ELECTION
  • Date: 26th May 1996
  • Summary: TIRANA, ALBANIA (MAY 26, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC SALI BERISHA VOTING 0.13 2. SV BERISHA WALKING OUTSIDE BEING GREETED BY CROWD 0.34 3. SV SOCIAL PARTY LEADER SERVET PELLUMBI VOTING (4 SHOTS) 1.08 4. SV/MCU OF GENERAL VOTING (5 SHOTS) 1.40 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 10th June 1996 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TIRANA, ALBANIA
  • City:
  • Country: Albania
  • Reuters ID: LVA2JPKOJUL936IHBVNCWZGI3PG
  • Story Text: Albania's main opposition Socialist Party said it was pulling out of Sunday's election in Europe's poorest country because voting was taking place in a "climate of terror" and was being manipulated. Albania's main opposition Socialist Party said it had withdrawn from the country's third post-communist election on Sunday because of "terror" and manipulation of the poll by the ruling Democratic Party.

    The Democratic Alliance party, the joint second largest opposition group, said earlier it was also pulling out from the poll.

    "We do not recognise the result of the elections whatever it is," chief Socialist Party spokesman Kastriot Islami told a news conference.

    The centre-right Democratic Alliance and centre-left Social Democrats held six seats each in the 140-member parliament which was dissolved in March.

    "I cannot speak for the Social Democrats...but I believe they have withdrawn too," the Democratic Alliance party coordinator Naim Buci said.

    There was no immediate comment from President Sali Berisha's Democratic Party.

    The Socialists alleged hundreds of representatives of opposition parties in the electoral committees had been beaten and wounded, detained and many polling stations had been closed since early in the day.

    "With the full knowledge of the president of the republic, the vote has been controlled and directed by the police, the secret police and gangs of the Democratic Party," Islami said.

    He added voting had taken place "in a climate of terror".

    The Socialist Party urged the Central Electoral Commission, in charge of election organisation, and the Constitutional Court, to declare the poll invalid and to hold a fresh ballot "under guaranteed democratic conditions".

    There was no independent confirmation of the alleged polling irregularities. Foreign observers were not immediately available for comment.

    The month-long election campaign has been marred by repeated accusations and counter-accusations of political violence and harassment.

    Witnesses said voting was brisk and likely to meet the expected turnout of around 80 percent. Queues appeared at polling stations in the capital Tirana soon after doors opened.

    The ruling Democratic Party said about 42 percent of voters had cast their ballot by one p.m. (1100 GMT), based on calculations at 31 of 36 electoral districts. Streets were unusually quiet and the atmosphere appeared calm.

    The 24 hours before the polls opened were full of accusations and counter-accusations of beatings, attacks and foul play, but there has been no independent confirmation of the reports.

    Communications remain primitive in Albania and it may take some time for the results from the 4,703 polling stations to reach Tirana's Central Electoral Commission, the state body overseeing election organisation.

    Some 2.2 million of Albania's 3.4 million citizens are eligible to vote for 24 registered parties at polling stations spread across the country from villages in the mountainous north to seaside towns on the southern Ionian coast.

    International observers were at polling stations around Europe's poorest country to help ensure the vote was fair.


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