Albanian Parliament turns into a battlefield: flares, bottles, and accusations of falsification
Kyiv • UNN
A session of the Albanian Parliament turned into a large-scale clash: the opposition lit flares, threw bottles, and blocked the rostrum. The reason was a protest against election falsification and a demand for the resignation of the Deputy Prime Minister, who is under investigation.
Another session of the Albanian parliament in Tirana turned into a large-scale clash between opposition MPs and security guards. During the vote for the new ombudsman, representatives of the Democratic Party set off flares directly in the session hall, threw bottles at the speaker, and tried to block the work of the rostrum. This is reported by the Associated Press, writes UNN.
Details
The reason for the radical protest was accusations against the ruling Socialist Party of falsifying elections and monopolizing power. Oppositionists held placards comparing Prime Minister Edi Rama to Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega. The main demand of the protesters is the immediate resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku.
The Special Anti-Corruption Court has already issued an arrest warrant for her due to manipulations with public procurement, but she still remains in office, enjoying immunity.
Calls for order amid European integration
Parliament Speaker Niko Peleshi tried in vain to calm the lawmakers, calling for respect for state institutions.
We cannot destroy the state like this
The incident was another blow to the reputation of Albania, which is officially considered one of the leaders on the path to EU accession among the Western Balkan countries. Despite progress in negotiations with Brussels, international observers continue to point to the critical level of corruption and a deep political crisis that paralyzes the work of the country's legislature.