TIRANA, May 13 /ATA/ As the counting of ballot boxes from the May 11 parliamentary elections is coming to a halt, the Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha stated that “the May 11 elections were controlled by crime.”
In a media statement from the DP headquarters on Tuesday, Berisha, as the leader of the “Democratic Party–Alliance for a Magnificent Albania” coalition in the May 11 elections, asserted that these were “the most rigged and looted elections in the entire history of Albania’s democratic elections.”
According to Berisha, “the criminal gangs of the government were active in 10 districts of Albania, in 20 municipalities of the country, and they patronized 30 MPs of the criminal majority.”
“The scenes witnessed in Vora, where Xhabafti-led gang employed violence to impose their will on the citizens, led to the main gang leader, Blendi Xhabafti, securing ten times more votes than the second candidate on the list,” said Berisha.
Berisha stated that “scenes similar to those in Vora were prevalent in several other districts and municipalities, including Durrës, Peshkopi, Elbasan, Fier, and other regions. In every respect, these were the most rigged, most plundered, and most violently manipulated elections in the entire electoral history of pluralistic Albania.”
“Never in the history of Albania have gangs managed to place so many of their representatives in parliament as they have in this one. From north to south, from east to west. I can tell you that in the Durrës district, gangs were working for certain candidates,” said Berisha.
Berisha stated, “The May 11 elections were marred by the largest-scale public vote-buying in Albania’s electoral history. The 100-euro envelopes sent during the election campaign, along with the amnesty for 200 million euros in fines and interest from 2015 to 2025, constitute the most significant public vote-buying case in the country’s history.”
Berisha emphasized that “employment, or jobs for votes, was applied on a massive scale in these elections.”
Berisha underscored that “we are documenting electoral crime with great responsibility.”
Berisha called for a peaceful protest on May 16, the same day the European Political Community Summit will take place in Tirana.
“The dark chapter of these elections will be written on the 16th at 5:00 PM on Zogu i Parë Boulevard to raise global awareness about the horrendous crimes committed by the electoral tyrant, Edi Rama, who defies every national and international rule and law regarding elections. The protest will be peaceful,” said Berisha.
“We guarantee that there will be no issues that could compromise, even in the slightest, the security of the dignitaries attending, but we want them to learn that they have been invited by a narcotic dictator who disregards either law or morality when it comes to the vote and the will of his citizens,” said Berisha. /j.p/sm/
