Albania Commences Key Voting Amidst Tight Race

(MENAFN) Albanian citizens participated in their 11th general election since the end of communist rule, casting votes for the 140 parliamentary seats. Voting commenced at 7 a.m. local time and concluded 12 hours later, with over 3.71 million individuals eligible to vote.

A total of 53 political parties and three coalitions competed in the election. The incumbent Socialist Party, fronted by Prime Minister Edi Rama, entered the election as a leading contender, according to pre-election polls. The primary opposition, the Democratic Party, led by former Prime Minister Sali Berisha under the Greater Albania Alliance, also presented a strong challenge.

Other participating parties included the Euro-Atlantic Coalition, Opportunity Party, Joint Movement Party, Albania Is Happening Initiative, Social Democratic Party, Homeland Movement, Albanian National Alliance, and the New Democracy Alliance.

Around 100 observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) were deployed across 31 countries to monitor the electoral process.

Albania's electoral laws mandate that parties must secure at least 1% of the vote to gain representation in the parliament, which operates on a four-year cycle.

The nation's diverse population includes various ethnic and religious groups, with a predominantly Muslim majority and significant Catholic, Orthodox, Bektashi, Protestant, and other religious minorities.

Preliminary election results are anticipated to be released near midnight local time.

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