Albanians stage anti-government protest, demand PM resignation
Thousands of people in Albania have staged an anti-government protest in the country’s capital of Tirana, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and a free and fair parliamentary election next month.
Protesters took to the streets in the Albanian capital on Saturday, marching peacefully to Rama’s office, which was being guarded by hundreds of policemen.
Lulzim Basha, the leader of the main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Albania, was among the demonstrators, demanding in a speech that the government step down and hand power over to a caretaker cabinet to take the country to free and fair elections in June.
The opposition has boycotted the June 18 parliamentary election, claiming that the Rama’s cabinet would tamper with the votes.
“There will be no elections without the opposition,” Basha said. “There will be elections only with a technical (caretaker) government.”
The opposition leader also warned of another “final march” with supporters from other cities across the country before election day if the demands were not met.
The opposition and other activist groups in Albania have previously leveled allegations of high-level collusion with drug cartels against some people in the government.
Basha further said, “Owing to the resistance of the people, everything will change and will not be like before… The old republic of crimes and drugs belongs to the National History Museum and the united Albanians will not recognize it anymore.”
The Balkan country expects to launch full membership negotiations with the European Union and a justice reform program, which has so far been blocked by the opposition.
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