Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama is on course to secure an unprecedented fourth term as the country’s leader, as early results from Sunday’s parliamentary elections show a strong lead for the Socialist Party, reports Rks News.
According to data from the Central Election Commission, with around 30% of the votes counted, the Socialist Party has won 53% of the vote well ahead of the Democratic Party, led by former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, which has garnered only 34%, Reuters reports.
Rama, who has been in power since 2013, is seen as the favorite to win another term, aided by his influence after 12 years of governance, recent economic development, and a strengthened international profile.
If confirmed, this result would give him another four years to pursue his goal of leading Albania into the European Union by 2030 a central promise of his campaign, although some experts view the target as overly ambitious.
A fourth term would also consolidate Rama’s position after a third term marked by political tensions with the opposition, including clashes with Berisha and a series of scandals involving corruption allegations.
For the first time, around 200,000 Albanians living abroad had the opportunity to vote in these elections. Final results are expected to be released by Monday or Tuesday.
