Albania
local elections
18/02/2007
Source: europeanforum.net; setimes.com; electionguide.org
Local Elections
Local elections were held on February 18th 2007. The centre-right coalition won 49.5% of the vote, narrowly beating out the opposition, which received 41%. Individually, the Socialist Party gained the most votes, with 20.9%. The Democratic Party finished second, with 19.4%.
The elections fell short of international standards, observers from the OSCE and the Council of Europe said. The observers complained that the vote was held in an atmosphere of tension and distrust between the main political players. It was "a missed opportunity" to show Albania is capable of holding free and fair elections, OSCE mission head Jorgen Grunnet said.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha, however, praised the election shortly before the release of the observers' report, describing it as the "best ever held in post-communist Albania".