Through a Facebook post, the US Embassy in Tirana urges the government and opposition to “practice restraint” during the planned opposition protest tomorrow in Tirana at 11:00.
The post also confirms the position of the Embassy as regards the legitimacy of the current government, and the few renegade opposition members that have defied their parties and taken up their seats in Parliament:
“The United States Embassy views the current government and parliament of Albania as legitimately elected through the internationally recognized elections of 2017. […] As those former members of parliament, who decided to resign their mandates, have relinquished their obligations to the citizens of Albania, they should allow those willing to work for the future of the country to do their jobs.”
The statement of the US Embassy comes at a time that the US State Department has released a damning report of Albania, criticizing the country for its poor record on corruption, election fraud, impunity of officials, media freedom, police abuse, respect of rights of women, children, LGBT+ and workers.
