Albanian opposition holds peaceful protest in tense capital

Fri, 28 Jan 2011

Tirana - Supporters of Albania's opposition Socialist Party gathered Friday in the Albanian capital Tirana for what they termed a quiet protest and memorial to three demonstrators killed in anti- government riots last week.

About 10,000 people participated in the protest amid a massive police presence, the official ATA news agency said. The government building, which demonstrators attempted to storm on January 21, was heavily guarded. The Socialist Party chief Edi Rama went ahead with the rally despite police warnings that it could be dangerous.

Rama urged supporters to remain calm and refrain from any provocations. A week ago, Prime Minister Sali Berisha accused him of organizing an attempted coup after demonstrators clashed with police.

The Albanian parliament has ordered an investigation into last week's protest, but without the backing of the Socialists, who walked out of the vote.

Tensions have been high in Albania since the 2009 parliamentary elections, in which Berisha's Democratic Party won a slim victory. The opposition has disputed the vote and boycotted parliament for the past year.

The demonstrators gathered last week, calling for Berisha's resignation in the wake of a corruption scandal involving former economy minister Ilir Meta.

The European Union, United States and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe urged Albanian leaders to resolve their differences through negotiation.

The political stalemate has hampered Albania's reform efforts and hindered its progress towards EU membership. The former Communist country joined NATO in 2009.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364822,peaceful-protest-tense-capital.html.