Albania's opposition staged a protest in the capital, Tirana, today, demanding that the government be replaced by a technocratic interim cabinet ahead of next year's parliamentary elections.
The conservative opposition accuses the leftist government of manipulating those early elections and of usurping power, including the judiciary.
The Democratic Party of former Prime Minister Salji Berisha has been holding protests in the Parliament for the past week after their colleague Ervin Salijanji was convicted of defamation, and Berisha's party said the case was politically motivated. In 2018, Salijanji demanded the resignation of the then interior minister over allegations of his brother's illegal activities, which later turned out to be fabricated.
Salijanji, who has been serving a one-year prison sentence since more than a week ago, appealed the verdict to the Supreme Court.
Democrats are seeking a cabinet made up of technocrats, accusing Prime Minister Edi Rama of the ruling leftist Socialist Party of manipulating the calling of early elections.
They have long accused Rama's Socialists of usurping power, including the judiciary, and have organized violent protests against the government since 2013.
Democrats are also demanding that Berisha be released from house arrest, where he was placed during an investigation into alleged corruption.
The opposition called for civil disobedience, starting the protest by gathering in front of the main government building.
Hundreds of policemen, equipped with gas masks, took up positions to protect the main state institutions.
The police said that traffic was blocked in many streets in the center of Tirana.
The European Union and the United States have urged the opposition to continue dialogue with the government, saying violence will not help the country integrate into the European Union.
In 2020, the EU decided to start negotiations on the admission of Albania, and this month Tirana will begin negotiations on how it harmonizes with the rule of law, the functioning of democratic institutions and the fight against corruption.
Bonus video:
