Following the Democratic Party’s crushing defeat in the partial local election, Deputy Leader Grida Duma has resigned from her post on Wednesday, the third such departure in as many days.
Deputy Agron Gjekmarkaj also resigned, as did Albanian writer Flutura Açka. Both were members of the PD’s steering committee.
The election saw six municipalities go to the polls, Shkodra, Vore, Durres, Rrogozine, Diber and Lushnje, They were left without mayors for various reasons including the discovery some had criminal records they had concealed and sudden death.
The PD was up against the Socialist Party and the House of Freedom, a coalition with LSI and ex-Prime Minister and President and co-founder of the PD Sali Berisha. They lost in every municipality, coming last in five out of six. Berisha’s candidate won Shkodra while the PS won in all other municipalities.
A group of PD deputies have called on Chairman Lulzim Basha to resign, but he has so far, refused to do so.
On the same day, Berisha called on PD deputies to join what he calls “the real opposition”.
“I invite them to join their electorate, to join the real PD, to contribute to its consolidation. The only condition of this union is and remains free voting. Anyone who accepts free voting as a mechanism, is welcome to join us,” he said.
You can read more about the crisis faced by Basha here.
