Albanian Leaders Battle Over Local Election Date

President Ilir Meta (left) and Prime Minister Edi Rama during a ceremony of remembrance for WWII heroes on May 5 2019. Photo: LSA

After the failure of the meeting requested by the President, Meta said he was setting a new date for the local elections, due on June 30.

Meta said he had now decided that the local elections should be held on October 13. "This is the earliest date to organize inclusive local elections," he explained.

Prime Minister Rama refused to agree, however. "June 30 is the only election date," he said on Twitter.

Meta, who was elected President with Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama's support in 2017, is now under a formal impeachment procedure started by the Socialist-controlled parliament over his controversial decision to cancel the local elections. Rama has insisted the elections must go ahead as planned.

On Wednesday, Meta formally invited party leaders for negotiations over the crisis, announcing that he would "wait for the Prime Minister from 5am to 1pm". But Rama promptly refused the invitation, saying he was busy in the local election campaign.

Albanians on Sunday will vote for new mayors and local councils. However, the main opposition Democratic Party is boycotting the elections, citing alleged collusion between the Socialist Party and organized crime networks.

In 31 out of 61 municipalities, there is just one Socialist candidate competing with no rivals. In the rest, some independent or small party candidates are standing.

Fears of violence have increased as the government claims the elections must go forward while the opposition insists they have been cancelled.

Police have referred two mayors for prosecution for "electoral crimes" for having said they will stop any elections from taking...

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