Socialist Movement for Integration

Albania opposition parties have jointly called on the Socialist-led government of Edi Rama to put the longstanding argument over allowing the import of waste to a referendum.

A law on the matter is currently pending, after the President refused to sign it a year ago.

The fallout from the June 25 election in Albania - which Edi Rama's Socialists won - continues to reverberate, as the head of the third-placed party, the Socialist Movement for Integration, LSI, Petrit Vasil, resigned on Thursday, proposing Monika Kryemadhi as his successor.

According to Albania's Central Electoral Commission, CEC, preliminary results show that the Socialist Party, PS, in power since 2013, won 51.65 per cent, after 40 per cent of votes have been counted.

Albanians are tensely awaiting election results which will be announced only on Monday after the long process of transporting votes from the polling station to the counters has taken place.

On Sunday voting for the general elections began at 7am local time and continued until 8pm - one hour later than expected as polling station closures were postponed on account of the low turnout.

Albanian parties are heading into the coming elections alone, without the usual big pre-election coalitions, potentially making the process of forming a government after June 25 more difficult to predict.

Ilir Meta, leader of Albania's junior ruling party, the Socialist Movement for Integration, LSI, was voted in as President of Albania on Friday amid an opposition boycott.

Meta received 87 votes in favour and two against in the 140-seat assembly, becoming the seventh President of Albania since the Stalinist Communist regime collapsed in 1990.

Albania's Minister of Justice, Ylli Manjani - from the junior coalition party, the Socialist Movement for Integration, LSI - has accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of sacking him for speaking out against corruption.

The Socialist Movement for Integration, LSI, - a partner party in Albania's coalition government - has signed an agreement with McKeon Group, which BIRN has seen, showing that the party will pay the company 15,0oo US dollars per month for six months, specifically to obain invitations for LSI leaders to attend the inauguration of new US President Donald Trump, on January 20, and organize meeting

Albania's Minister of Justice resigned suddenly on Monday, in the middle of presiding over key judicial reforms that the EU considers vital for the country.

Nasip Naco, from the Socialist Movement for Integration, LSI, a coalition party in the Socialist-led government, resigned after two years in office on Monday.

Albanian media have published leaked photos and tape allegedly featuring a former energy minister in intimate positions with a woman, in what his supporters say is retaliation for his role in uncovering corruption.

Online portals in Albania have published pictures of the former Economy and Energy minister Dritan Prifti, and they say that a full video will be released soon.