With about a fifth of the votes counted, Albania’s ruling party had a narrow lead yesterday after an election that the government, opposition and foreign observers said was fair.
“Albania passed the test” said a headline in the Shqip daily referring to Sunday’s generally calm and orderly voting.
The EU and the US view the ballot as a test of Albania’s readiness for integration with Europe. Western monitors were expected to give their preliminary evaluation of the voting yesterday afternoon.
“I think the voting went very well,” Arben Ristani, the head of Albania’s Central Election Commission said. “The counting of the vote is going along slowly but smoothly in an atmosphere of consensus.”
The US Zogby International agency projected that Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha and his Democratic Party would win 69 seats, short of the 71 needed for a majority, compared to 55 for the Socialists led by Edi Rama, mayor of the capital Tirana.
Unofficial results from 938 voting centers, out of the 4,753 nationwide, showed the Socialists were backed by 40.96 percent and the Democrats by 39.31.
REGIONAL SYSTEM
Under a proportional regional system this would translate into 66 seats for the Democrats and 65 for the Socialists.
Official results should by law be announced by 5pm.
Europe’s main human rights and security watchdog, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said the vote was mostly orderly, although the main parties had accused each other of manipulation.
“So far it has been relatively calm,” Robert Bosch, the OSCE’s Albania head, said on Sunday. “There are some little irregularities but this time less than in past elections.”
The Socialists led the Democrats in the Tirana area which sends 32 lawmakers to parliament. The Socialist Integration Movement, probably a kingmaker under the regional proportional system, had four seats so far. Albania will elect 140 lawmakers.
Ruled for four decades until 1985 by Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha, the Balkan country has emerged from long isolation, becoming a NATO member in April and applying the same month to join the EU.
Both candidates favour European integration, more market reforms, improved infrastructure and modernizing Albania’s agriculture. Rama has said he would turn to the IMF for economic help at a time international economists say the economy is stagnating, and Berisha has publicly been more cautious.
“The elections proceeded better than any other election we ever had,” Berisha, 64, the dominant post-communist leader, said shortly after voting ended.
“There have been a few small problems, but no major ones,” he said.
SPEEDING CARS
Berisha’s supporters waved the party’s blue flags from speeding cars around Tirana on late on Sunday to celebrate victory after the results of exit polls were announced, but Berisha did not claim victory.
Rama, 44, gave a cautious thumbs-up to the ballot.
“Despite a series of irregularities and unpleasing details in various parts of the territory of Albania, in general the objective of guaranteeing the process was realized,” he told a news conference.
“I agree with Mr Berisha that there are no losers in this election because European Albania has won,” he said.
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