(ANSA-AP) - TIRANA, JUNE 24 - Albania's top legal election
institution on Monday decided in favor of holding municipal
elections this weekend, turning down a move from the country's
president to cancel them. The five-judge Electoral College ruled
unanimously that a small political party, which had asked to
deregister based on President Ilir Meta's action, must take part
in Sunday's vote. Earlier this month, Meta said he was canceling
the elections, saying he feared the balloting would be
"undemocratic" without the center-right opposition parties that
have boycotted it, and would spark social conflict.
The opposition has led protests since mid-February, accusing
the government of links to organized crime and demanding a new
general election. Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama insists the
elections will go ahead as scheduled, accusing the opposition of
political black mail. The 140-seat parliament has started a
lengthy procedure to oust Meta for allegedly violating the
constitution, though the Socialists don't have the 94 votes that
would need.
The opposition Democratic Party said Monday it does not
recognize the college's verdict because a presidential decree
can be judged only by the Constitutional Court. The court has
been dysfunctional for about a year after most of its judges
were fired. The opposition has threatened to physically prevent
the holding of Sunday's vote.
Last week, opposition supporters damaged bal lot boxes and
other election documentation to prevent the vote in some
opposition-held districts. The president has called a news
conference for Tuesday, though it is not clear if he himself
will speak. (ANSA-AP).
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