Opposition tipped for Albanian election victory

Albania’s opposition leader was said to be ahead today in parliamentary elections seen as a key test of the country’s post-communist democracy.

Exit poll data indicated Sali Berisha had taken an early lead in the polls. Berisha, a former president, and prime minister Fatos Nano, had stressed that yesterday’s election was a chance to show the world how far Albania’s democracy had come.

Albania is pushing for membership of Nato and closer ties with the European Union, both of which have warned Albanian authorities that only free and fair elections will further the Balkan country’s aspirations.

Although the voting was generally calm, one election official was shot dead in the capital Tirana, polling stations in parts of the country remained open for an additional three hours, and local election monitors were investigating reports of irregularities in rural areas.

The exit poll, conducted in 15 districts out of 100 total nationwide and broadcast by TV Klan, showed Berisha’s Democratic Party leading in 11 electoral districts, while Nano’s Socialists led in one. They were also tied in three. The poll had a margin of error of three percentage points.

Berisha urged his supporters to show restraint, but said he was confident of victory.

If the projections hold, Berisha, who served as Albania’s president from 1992 to 1997, could make a comeback. The 60-year-old cardiologist was forced to resign following the collapse of investment schemes in 1997 that plunged the country into anarchy.

The exit poll, the first-ever held in Albania, was conducted by the Kosovo-based Gani Bobi organisation. Official results are expected late today.

Previous elections in Albania – which was isolated from the world during decades of hardline Communist Party rule under Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha - have been plagued by fraud and irregularities.

The failure of previous elections has badly stalled development in the country of 3.2 million people which is among Europe’s poorest.

The election winner could be forced into a coalition to form a government. Former prime minister Ilir Meta, who broke away from the Socialists last year, could hold the key third place.

Some 2.8 million Albanians were eligible to vote, choosing among 22 political parties and coalitions running for the 140-seat parliament – 100 elected directly and 40 from party lists.

The preliminary figure for turnout was 56%, according to the central election commission.

The vote was monitored by about 500 international observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe and a European network of non-governmental organisations. About 4,000 local monitors also took part.

More than 6,000 police were deployed to provide security.