At a time when Albania is set to host European leaders for the European Political Community Summit, the opposition has announced a major protest in the capital. On May 16 at 17:00, the Democratic Party will hold a peaceful rally on “Dëshmorët e Kombit” Boulevard in Tirana, aiming to raise international awareness about what party leader Sali Berisha claims is the “massive rigging of elections” by the Albanian government.
Berisha has accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of various violations and manipulations during the recent elections, especially focusing on voting by the diaspora.
In a statement to the media, he pointed to the results from voting in Greece, calling them manipulated and orchestrated following the visit of Interior Minister Taulant Balla there. He compared the situation to authoritarian regimes.
“This crime is equally monstrous in the diaspora. You’ve probably heard that in the ballot box of Berat for the diaspora, the Socialist Party got 99.6%. We’re talking North Korea levels here. That’s the reality. Before Balla and his patronage army went to Greece, we were getting 1,000–1,300 envelopes per day. After his visit, 6,000 envelopes arrived, all rigged.”
Berisha called on electoral commissioners to document every irregularity, underlining that the opposition respects every vote cast even under what he calls “terror conditions.”
“I trust you’re following the diaspora vote count and seeing the clearest signs of falsification and manipulation. My call to all commissioners who are working with self-sacrifice is to count every vote as a sign of our unwavering respect for those who, even under terror, voted for the opposition. Record and take note of every irregularity.”
Berisha emphasized that the protest is not intended to disturb public order or threaten the security of international leaders attending the Summit, but to deliver the opposition’s message.
“The black book of these elections will be written on May 16 at 17:00 on the Main Boulevard to alert the global public about the monstrous electoral crimes of the beast Edi Rama, who respects neither national nor international election laws. The protest will be peaceful.
We guarantee there will be no disruptions that could endanger, even slightly, the security of visiting dignitaries. But we want them to know they were hosted by a narco-dictator who shows no respect for the law or the will of his citizens,” said Berisha.
