During a meeting this morning, the KQZ has confirmed the final election results of the June 25 parliamentary elections.
Of the 3.48 million registered voters, only 1.58 million cast their votes, resulting in a historically low turn-out rate of 45%.
The Socialist Party (PS) jumped from 65 seats in 2013 to 74 in the recent elections, an increase of 14% in mandates that gives it an absolute majority. In terms of absolute votes, however, the PS showed only an increase from 713,407 in 2013 to 764,750 in 2017, an increase of only 7%. This discrepancy is explained by the massive abstention of voters for the opposition.
The Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI) performed relatively better, winning 19 mandates with 225,901 votes, compared to 16 mandates with 180,470 votes in 2013. This is an improvement of 25% in terms of votes.
The Justice, Unity, and Integration Party (PDIU) arguably suffered most from the absence of pre-electoral coalitions. In 2013, the PDIU won 44,957 votes and 4 mandates in Parliament. In 2017, the party nearly doubled their numbers with 76,069 votes, even though they only secured 3 mandates in Parliament, with PDIU leader Shpëtim Idrizi just being a few votes short of passing the voting threshold in Tirana.
The Democratic Party (PD) performed arguably the worst, especially considering the fact that it had incorporated the Republican Party (PR), as well as other, smaller opposition parties. In June, the PD won 456,413 votes, giving them 43 mandates, whereas in 2013 they had won 528,373 votes on their own, with the PR winning an additional 52,168.
Several smaller parties will not return to Parliament on their own. Vangjel Dule of the PBDNj won a PD mandate in Vlora, whereas Christian-Democrat Nard Ndoka secured a PD mandate in Shkodra.
Finally, Tom Doshi, a former PS deputy who was thrown out of the party, managed to gain a seat for the Social-Democratic Party in Shkodra.
