Protesters demand Albania vote recount
Posted: 21 November 2009 0613 hrs

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TIRANA : Thousands of opposition supporters on Friday began a weekend of protests accusing Prime Minister Sali Berisha's government of electoral fraud and demanding a recount of ballots cast in June polls.

"This protest, which will last for three days, is only the beginning of a string of protests to force the authorities to reopen the ballot boxes, which hold the truth about the elections," opposition Socialist leader Edi Rama said.

"If the government refuses to reopen the ballot boxes, we will firmly demand its departure and early elections," Rama told the crowd outside the main government building in Tirana, which shouted back: "Open the boxes!"

Until opposition demands are met, he added, the Socialists -- who took 65 of the 140 parliamentary seats at stake in the June 28 election -- will continue to boycott parliament.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which monitored the election, said it had seen an improvement over previous polls in the erstwhile communist state, but noted certain "violations."

This weekend's protests come at the end of a week that began with EU foreign ministers agreeing in Brussels that Albania should be considered for official EU candidate status.

- AFP /ls