Albanian opposition party splits after disastrous election performance

Albanian opposition party splits after disastrous election performance
Democratic Party leader Luzhim Basha.
By bne IntelliNews September 17, 2017

Members of Albania’s main opposition Democratic Party (DP) that have been excluded from the party by its leader Lulzim Basha plan to establish a new political movement, local media reported on September 16.

The Democrats suffered a huge defeat in the June 25 general election, winning just 43 seats versus the 74 taken by the governing Socialist Party, which gave the Socialists a majority in the parliament without the need for a coalition partner. 

This gave rise to speculation that Basha’s threat to boycott the election, which could have put Albania’s prospects of EU accession at risk, damaged the party’s image with voters. Despite this, Basha was re-elected by an overwhelming majority at the party’s congress in July.

Now prominent members of the DP, ex-parliament speaker and former DP deputy leader Jozefina Toppali and former European integration minister Majlinda Bregu, as well as others that are against Basha’s strategy are reportedly planning to join the new movement. 

DP veteran Astrit Patozi said that details on the new political movement will be announced soon, Albanian Daily News reported.

“I am so happy that I am not part of the DP parliamentary group,” Patozi was cited.

Meanwhile, the new Albanian government led by Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama was sworn in by the parliament on September 13.

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