Albanian opposition protestors try to break police cordon to enter parliament

Albanian opposition protestors try to break police cordon to enter parliament
/ Albanian Democratic Party
By bne IntelliNews March 28, 2019

Opposition protestors in Albania tried unsuccessfully to break a police cordon and to enter the parliament building in the latest protest on March 28 against the government of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama.

A series of protests against the government of Rama, which the opposition have accused of corruption, links with organised crime and bad governance, have been held since February 16. Several have erupted into violent clashes with police. 

The latest protest was held during a parliament session. Several thousand opposition supporters gathered in downtown Tirana to reiterate their demands for the creation of an interim government and snap elections.

Protestors also threw black paint at the building of the interior ministry.

Leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) Lulzim Basha said in his speech that there will be no election while Rama is in power.

“The battle has started for each Albanian to save the country from this government of crime,” Basha was cited by Albanian Daily News.

“For these six years, this gang robbed Albanian citizens. It has increased taxes, electricity prices and jailed people who can’t pay their electricity bills. It made hundreds of thousands of Albanians leave the country,” Basha said.

Meanwhile MPs are continuing the session, with 21 newcomers from the opposition lists after the opposition lawmakers originally elected in the 2017 general election returned their mandates in February. After that the central election commission invited candidates from opposition parties on the election lists to take the vacant seats in the parliament.

Two new MPs from the opposition were sworn in on March 28, bringing the total number of MPs to 98 in the 140-seat parliament.

The opposition plans another major rally on April 13, but said it will hold protests whenever the assembly holds sessions.

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