US: Elections June 30th to Be Peaceable

The US has warned that this weekend's elections in Albania should be held peacefully, otherwise the country's opposition will be classified as the “violent organisation”, writes EUreporter, the Brussels-based European Multimedia news platform.

In writing dedicated to the political situation in the country, EUreputer brought back to the attention of the US and EU unanimous appeal that elections should be held on June 30th.

Next, the complete scripture published in the EUreporter:

The US has warned that this weekend's elections in Albania should be held peacefully, otherwise the country's opposition will be classified as the violent “organisation”

The unusual and extremely strong warning comes days before local elections, which the opposition Democratic Party has decided to boycott.

The deputy head of the American Embassy mission in Albania, Daniel Koski, said that “any act of violence from today to July 1st would force the American State Department to classify you as a violent organisation”.

The strong message addresses the DP, considered guilty of problems facing the country in both domestic and international relations.

Despite the boycott and efforts of President Ilir Meta to cancel local elections, they will be held this Sunday. President Meta's decree for cancellation was overturned by Electoral College.

For several months the opposition has staged protests, some of which escalated into violence. Albanian television “Top Channel” has reported that the opposition has been warned by the US State Department that the DP will be classified as the violent “organisation” from the US if the violence continues.

A eurodiplom stressed that “is a very serious statement and only one degree below the classification as terrorist organisation”.

Albania has been experiencing a political crisis for several months, while the recent turn of events came recently from a call by Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama with US diplomat Philip T. Reeker, deputy secretary for Eurasian State Department.

According to í Now, Reeker insists that elections be held on June 30th, a position taken by the US and European countries since the beginning of the crisis.

Reeker said the United States is following developments in Albania.

Last Thursday, Daniel Koski held a meeting with Lulzim Basha and Monica Mayor, opposition leaders in Albania.

An American official in Albania said that the <x0-message given is very clear: Any act of violence from today until July 1st will force the American State Department to classify you as a violent organisation”.

The American classification of violent organisations is only a country beneath terrorist organisations.

This classification would affect the directors and members of the organization, who could register their assets and bank accounts. Another measure would be the ban to travel and direct influence on public positions or their businesses.

The opposition threatens to physically undermine the election's holding on Sunday. Last week, militants from opposition parties destroyed election materials to prevent elections in several opposition-run municipalities.

Prime Minister Rama, despite the unrest and boycott, has stressed that elections will be held Sunday.

The Central Election Commission said opposition parties cannot withdraw from the vote, so the elections to be held will be valid.

The election college decision, which is the highest judicial body in Albania for electoral issues, confirmed the CEC's decision, which considered the Republic's president's decree to annul the June 30th” elections, said Denar Biba, deputy chairman of the Central Election Commission.

The Socialist Party, which launched a process to dismiss the president because of this decree, saw the College's decision as a victory.

“Colegi decided, all parties should respect this decision”, the chairman of the SP parliamentary group, Taulant Balla told reporters.

However, the opposition, which is boycotting the elections and holding weekly protests against Rama, ignored the decision, claiming it would nevertheless respect the president's decree.

The European Union and the United States of America recognise the government as legitimate and have called on the opposition to return to parliament and participate in local elections.

The proclaimed opposition “Synnisation is strengthening democracy in the country, but violent actions during the protests go against that goal,” underlined in a statement the American Embassy.

The opposition started a series of protests in mid-February accusing government officials of corruption and vote theft during parliamentary elections that took place two years ago.

Prime Minister Rama, on the other hand, said the main goal of the opposition is to prevent the start of the country's EU membership negotiations.