Tirana and Vlora decide the fate of the PS and PD
Whichever party wins in these two cities, which are the barometer of Albanian politics, wins political credibility for the parliamentary elections
The loser pulls back the day after tomorrow
Tomorrow evening the final match will take place. The electoral marathon for the local government mandate, watched with particular interest not only inside the country but also in foreign chancelleries with a certain anxiety, now closes with the second round of the runoff in three of the largest local units in the country. The calendar for this round includes only three electoral areas where the socialists registered a narrow margin in the first round. The race for the capital has taken on the dimensions of a major challenge and foreign analysts have described it as decisive for the country. This is because Tirana is the metropolis where the fate of Albanian politics is decided, and not only of the capital. Victory here, at least for the left, which has governed during this mandate, is seen as another chance to keep pace in the upcoming general elections as well. On the other side, the Democrats have invested in their effort to overturn the socialists’ first-round advantage, since they insist that manipulating the runoff result in all the municipal units of the Tirana district is a politically orchestrated project. For this reason they have accused the government and its police structures of preparing the ground for a manipulated victory. Since, of course, both rival sides consider Tirana the fundamental battle of this electoral race, the impact of victory or defeat here seems likely to be even greater than the benefit of administering the unit. In Vlora, the socialists and the Democrats have been nothing more than natural rivals of one another. This right wing, with no electoral future, comes face to face with the socialists in an arena where it has traditionally been the winner. If in the Vlora district the socialists on both sides have won without difficulty, in the coastal city the PD, after insisting on irregularities, has managed to stand out against the small margin by which the socialists defeated it. In this regard, the loser of this battle, whether in Tirana or in Vlora, will cause an unpleasant stir in the electorate from which the winning force emerged. According to foreign observers, the latter will gain greater credibility if, the day after tomorrow, its victory is repeated in these two bastions. As governing force for the socialists and as opposition for the democrats, this is a test of political stability and, after it, victory will also have the value of moral prestige after all the electoral clashes. The impact of victory or defeat grows greater as next year’s parliamentary challenge approaches for both rivals. For this reason, participation in these elections carries strong assessments and emotions, but above all it will also weigh on the psychological factor of adapting to defeat, which has continually left us with the impression and the real image of anarchy.
Nano and Meta in Durrës
Photo: P. ILO