DP supporter killed in political quarrel

14/06/2009

TIRANA, Albania -- A supporter of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) was fatally shot on Friday (June 12th) during an argument with political opponents over election posters. The incident happened in the village of Qerret, near the capital of Tirana. Skender Balla, a Socialist Party (SP) backer, opened fire with an assault rifle on Artan Zeka, 25, after the latter tried to put up a DP poster. The shooter has been taken into custody and will be charged with murder and illegal weapons possession. Both the DP and the SP condemned the killing and appealed to their supporters not to mar the election campaign with violent incidents.

Friday's incident was the second murder ahead of the June 28th parliamentary elections. In May, unknown attackers shot dead Fatmir Xhindi, a member of parliament representing the SP, near his house in the town of Roskovec. (Reuters, AFP, AP, DPA, Makfax -12/06/09)

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