Although a large part of the world can only dream of democracy, other places have difficulty for implementation. Tiny Albania emerged from Communist dictatorship in 1990 and to tumble a worldwide gross of gangsters, fraudulent financial machinations and incompetent governance, exacerbated by capitalism anarchistic and reckless policy. In 1997, popular fury on fake ballots and a plague of regimes of Ponzi scheme failures led to a massive uprising which saw the army warehouses looted and 1,500 dead. The Organization of the United Nations had to allow Italian troops to intervene to restore order.
Things are looking dicey once again in the capital Tirana. There, on 14 may, about a week the opposition of the Socialist Party was ecstatic on a razor-thin victory in the race for Mayor of Tirana. A quarter of a million votes have been issued and while the count was extraordinarily close, preliminary results showed incumbent Edi Rama ahead. Its margin: 10 votes. (See pictures of an Albanian border town, caught in a political conflict).
Rama is also at the head of the Socialist Party and the implacable enemy of the Prime Minister Sali Berisha, leader of the Democratic Party. Berisha has existed for some time. He was President of the Albania in Ponzi scheme uprising in 1997 and, after the UN intervened, he was forced to resign. Power for eight years, he returned as Prime Minister in 2005, the Socialists to rule the eviction. Rama, 47, took over as Socialist at that time leader there.
Thus, last week, while the Socialists are preparing to cheer, Berisha demanded a recount of mayoral votes and lo, the count still incomplete, current candidate Berisha Lulzim Basha gives an advance of 60 votes. Rama and his party have been exceeded. He served three terms as Mayor of Tirana and was regarded as extremely popular, so some surprise to the proximity of the vote in the capital. The Socialists also more feel aggrieved: when they have lost the general election, two years ago, Rama cried scandal, but the courts of the country chose not taking its complaint. But international observers reported no anomalies in the latest polls in Tirana. Berisha's Party had a more vigorous get-to-the-vote campaign. and there was perhaps some frustration over the discussion of Rama on his leadership of the Socialist Party over its functions of mayors. (See why demonstrators clashed against Berisha in January).
The drama had been seized in place four months earlier. January 21, police clashed with demonstrators led by the Socialist in an incident which caused the death of four demonstators and dozens of wounded. Berisha accused Rama of an attempted coup. Rama replied that deaths were political assassination. Many Albanians saw local elections this month as a referendum on which politician was telling the truth. Ultimately, the transported Socialists in many races for mayor, while the Democrats and their allies most municipal councils. International observes, said the election was largely peaceful, but the political climate was highly charged. Today, he came down to determine if Rama will keep his own Office.
The atmosphere in Tirana is tense, at least. The Election Commission, controlled by the Democratic Party, was protected by police cordon, faced against the hundreds of supporters of Socialists in the street. Across the country, the Socialist demonstrators burned tires and cars as blocked roads. Two supporters of Rama had been beaten by the police, according to the Socialists; the Government claims dozens of police officers were injured in clashes with the demonstrators.
Head of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso has cancelled a visit to Albania Friday, citing the disorders of the election. European foreign policy Union Chief Catherine Ashton calls quarrels of cool, and that "all political leaders bear a particular responsibility not step to putting at risk the lives of the citizens." Albania had been fancying an invitation to begin the accession negotiations with the European Union towards the end of the year. Current political confrontation is unlikely to improve its chances of joining EU.
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