[ALBSA-Info] Socialists claim victory in Albania polls

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

Socialists claim victory in Albania polls

By Linda Spahia

TIRANA, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Albania's ruling Socialists on Monday claimed 
victory in weekend local elections seen by international observers as a 
welcome step towards political normality in the often volatile Balkan nation. 

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the 
Council of Europe, which deployed around 250 observers for Sunday's ballot, 
said it marked ``significant progress towards meeting the (international) 
standards for democratic elections.'' 

Official results from the elections, Albania's first big political test since 
it plunged into anarchy in 1997, were expected by Wednesday. 

But Socialist Prime Minister Ilir Meta said the vote showed a clear swing 
towards his party in many areas, including the capital Tirana, where a 
Socialist looked set to capture the mayor's office for the first time. 

``I am pleased that the Socialist Party won a clear and very strong majority 
all over the country, especially in the major cities,'' Meta told Reuters. 

``Some very important cities will be run by the Socialist Party for the first 
time in 10 years.'' 

OPPOSITION ALLEGES MANIPULATION 

But former President Sali Berisha's opposition Democrats said they would not 
accept the result of the ballot, describing the result in Tirana as ``an 
electoral farce that was totally manipulated.'' 

International observers said they were satisfied with the conduct of the 
election, which, in contrast to the 1997 general election, was not marred by 
bloodshed. 

The Council of Europe and the OSCE said voting had taken place in ``a tense 
but remarkably peaceful atmosphere, with only a few isolated incidents of 
violence.'' 

``Voting was carried out in an orderly manner in a majority of 
municipalities,'' they said in their preliminary report. 

``Almost all voters were able to cast ballots despite some initial concerns 
with the voter registers. Some irregularities were noted but none seemed 
significant enough to impact on the outcome.'' 

Some 2.7 million people were entitled to vote in the polls, which the 
government and opposition treated as a trial run for next year's general 
election. Turnout was around 61 percent. 

Berisha was ousted in 1997 in a general election after months of anarchy 
caused by the collapse of fraudulent pyramid schemes in which countless 
Albanians lost their life savings. 

Order was restored after the intervention of an Italian-led multinational 
force, but an estimated half a million weapons are still in private hands and 
parts of the country remain lawless. 

Diplomats said the successful conduct of the election would boost the 
authority of the Meta government, which had tightened security to avoid 
political bloodshed.