SP Leads with 72 Candidates as Counting Process of Sunday’s Election Is Going to End by Tuesday Midday

Prime Minister Edi Rama has chosen an expression of basketball player Michael Jordan to give a message to the citizens of Albania on Tuesday morning.

While the vote count is nearing completion and the Socialist Party leads with 72 seats, Rama wrote on Twitter that if you work hard you will succeed.

“GOOD MORNING “

If you work hard you will succeed. There are no shortcuts in life – Michael Jordan,” wrote Rama.

The counting of votes continues at a fast pace throughout the country.

Albania’s ruling Socialist Party secured 48.77% of votes in Sunday’s parliamentary election with 72 mandates, the opposition Democratic Party came second being credited 39.47 percent of the ballots with 59 mandates, while the Socialist Integration Movement was third with 6.93% of voters’ backing with 6 mandates. The Socialist Democratic Party of Tom Doshi is in fourth position with 2.24 percent or 3 mandates

on the basis of votes counted in 4,660 polling stations out of a total of 5,199 in all the country until 7.30 on Tuesday morning.

Turnout was estimated at below 48 per cent, slightly higher than four years ago.

If the Socialists led by Edi Rama win more than 50% of votes, they will be able to govern alone as they did in the previous Parliament.

The head of the CEC, Ilirjan Celibashi, has categorically denied the opposition claims that the Socialist Party had opened the preferential ballot boxes, where it emerged victorious. Celibashi said that these boxes were not opened selectively and that everything was done according to the law.

The election commission will announce the final results on Tuesday.

Although asked about Tom Doshi’s decision to relinquish his mandate of the PSD, the US ambassador, Yuri Kim did not answer. She had lambasted Doshi earlier warning PM Rama against any coalition with Doshi who is banned to enter US under criminal charges.

In the meantime DP head Lulzim Basha and other officials have continued to say they are winners!!! SMI has not made any comments.

Millions of Albanians went to the polls on Sunday amid the COVID-19 pandemic and following a bitter and divisive election campaign that saw violence and recriminations break out between the country’s two main parties.

The police officially informed that they had accompanied 8 people for the conflict to the school “1 Maji” in Tirana on Monday evening. The statement said police intervened after there was a conflict between observers and the vote counters.