The Democratic Party of Albania and seven other parties formed an opposition coalition today to further their political struggle aiming at the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and for early elections to take place. Meanwhile, today the number of parties registered for the June local elections reached 32, with at least 9 parties registered on the deadline date.
The following heads of parties signed an agreement with PD’s Lulzim Basha: Monika Kryemadhi of the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI), Fatmir Mediu of the Republican Party (PR), Dashamir Shehi of the Movement for National Development (LZHK), Shpëtim Idrizi of the Party for Justice, Integration and Unity (PDIU), Vangjel Dule of the Unity for Human Rights Party, Agron Duka of the Environmentalist Agrarian Party, and Nard Ndoka of the Demochristian Party.
The ten articles of the agreement set out opposition’s main conditions towards a solution to the political crisis in Albania. The coalition partners agreed to enter elections only once the conditions for free and fair elections are provided. According to the opposition, such conditions could be established only if Prime Minister Edi Rama resigns and a new transitional government is formed.
The opposition parties agreed not to let “farce elections” take place under the “current pact between Rama and organized crime”. It’s not clear how they intend to hinder the development of the June local elections.
Today is the deadline for parties’ registration at the election commission for the June 30 local elections. In today’s meeting of the commission 9 more parties were registered, bringing the total number to 32 parties.
Meanwhile, several former Democratic Party members created the Democratic Conviction Party this morning, they registered it at the Court of Tirana, and before noon reportedly submitted a request to the election commission to register for the upcoming local elections. The registration of the Democratic Conviction Party is expected to be announced later by the election commission.
The law requires at least 3,000 founding members to create a party. The request submitted at the court should include 3,000 signatures, names, ID numbers and addresses. It remains unclear how the court was able to complete within a few hours all the procedures and checks required by law for the registration of a political party.
