The Refoundation Group of the opposition Democratic Party (PD) led by Sali Berisha will run in the by-elections of March 6 in a coalition with the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI) and other opposition parties. They will use the banner “House of Freedom”.
Berisha made the announcement in a press conference on Monday, after his faction elected its six candidates in a party-wide primary yesterday.
He said negotiations with other opposition parties are under way and results will be announced in due time. The PD and LSI are the two largest opposition parties.
The Democratic Party formally led by Lulzim Basha and recognized by the Central Election Commission is yet to announce its candidates for the six municipalities of Shkoder, Durres, Lushnje, Diber, Vore and Rrogozhine.
The remaining 55 municipalities are all led by Socialist mayors after the PD, under Basha’s leadership, decided to boycott local elections in 2019.
The three big contenders in these by-elections so far are the Socialist Party, the House of Freedom Coalition, and the formal Democratic Party led by Basha.
A split occurred in the PD last year, when Basha excluded Berisha from the PD parliamentary group after the US barred him from entering the country over corruption allegations. Under the leadership of Berisha, party members voted to dismiss Basha, who responded by expelling Berisha and a number of senior PD officials from the party or its leadership.
Many see these by-elections as another battle over the legitimacy of the two PD leaders – Berisha and Basha – within the opposition party.
