Albanian opposition cries foul in local election

 TIRANA:
The Albanian opposition condemned
what it called voting irregularities in
local election Sunday seen as a test of
the Balkan country's fragile democracy
as it pushes to join the European Union

The first official results from the vote
to elect mayors and councillors in 61
municipalities were nt expected  until
Monday ,but the main opposition
Democratic Party was quick to cry foul
after polling stations closed at 17 GMT.

"They have been irregularities manipulation
as well as pressure and threats against
voters from the right",senior law maker
Edi Paloka  said in a statement, while
also claiming a clear win for his party.

Since the fall of communism in the early
1990's Albanian election have been often
marred violence and accusations of fraud
from all sides,

Prime Minister Edi Rama from the ruling
Socialists for his part said the election were
"the most free and the most honest" that
had ever been held in the country.

Some 3.3 million Albanians were eligible
to cast their votes on Sunday and turnout
stood at around 45 percent ,according to
party estimates,The ruling coalition,which
has whittled down the number of municipalities
from 373 to 61 as part of a reform of local
government ,had also said it was confident
of victory "More than the results ,the real
importance of these elections are the values
of democracy which must triumph "
 parliamentary speaker IIir Meta told AFP
ahead of the ballotAFP