Albania’s Edi Rama says his Socialists won third term as ruling party

Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Tuesday that his Socialist Party won enough votes in Sunday's parliamentary election to secure its third term as the ruling party. The Socialist Integration Movement and the Social Democratic Party secured four and three seats, respectively. At a rally of jubilant supporters in the capital Tirana, Rama asked the opposition for its cooperation and support in planned economic and political reforms.

Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Tuesday that his Socialist Party won enough votes in Sunday's parliamentary election to secure its third term as the ruling party. With over 95 percent of the votes counted, Albania’s central election commission said Rama’s Socialist Party secured 48.5 percent of the votes, equivalent to 74 seats in the 140-member parliament.

The commission's final vote count is expected in the coming days. The latest figures from the election commission showed the opposition Democratic Party came second with 39.3 percent or 59 seats. The Socialist Integration Movement and the Social Democratic Party secured four and three seats, respectively.

At a rally of jubilant supporters in the capital Tirana, Rama asked the opposition for its cooperation and support in planned economic and political reforms. Albania was granted European Union candidate status in 2014, but has made little progress since, mainly because of the failure to implement reforms.

“I will be prime minister of all Albanians, not only to those who gave me the third mandate,” Rama told his backers. The future government will have to contend with the COVID-19 pandemic, continue to rebuild after a massive earthquake in 2019 and speed up the fight against organised crime and corruption.

Although the weekend vote took place without major incidents, the campaign was marred by tension and violence. On Wednesday, a Socialist Party supporter was killed and four people were injured in a fight between the supporters of Socialists and Democrats.

“This was the toughest, the most difficult and the most beautiful victory of the Socialist Party,” Rama said at the rally.