Preliminary results from Albania's parliamentary elections show the ruling Socialist Party in the lead, with voters supporting the country's bid for European Union membership and the candidacy of current Prime Minister Edi Rama for a fourth term.
With about 25 percent of the votes counted, Rama's left-wing Socialists secured 53 percent of the vote, while the opposition right-wing coalition bloc, led by the Democratic Party and Sali Berisha, won 35 percent.
These percentages give the Socialists at least the 71 mandates needed to govern independently, and probably more than in the previous term.
Preliminary voter turnout on Sunday was around 42,16 percent, down 4 percent from four years ago.
Some 3.7 million eligible voters in and outside Albania cast their ballots to elect 140 members of parliament for a four-year term. Due to high levels of emigration, the country of 2.8 million has a larger number of registered voters. For the first time, some 191.000 Albanians from the diaspora had the opportunity to vote by mail.
The chairman of the Central Election Commission, Ilirjan Celibashi, said Sunday's voting process was largely peaceful, with a few isolated irregularities involving candidates and their supporters, but not expected to affect the result.
"The process, overall, except for sporadic cases, was in accordance with the rules and standards," he said in the evening, after the voting ended.
The Socialist Party has pledged to secure EU membership within five years, completing negotiations by 2027 and expecting approval from the 27 member states by 2030, an ambitious goal in the face of conservative opponents and their promises of wage increases.
Rama, 60, secured the opening of EU membership negotiations in October last year. During his campaign, he highlighted achievements in infrastructure and judicial reform.
The Socialists aim to accelerate the development of tourism, increasing the number of foreign visitors from 10 million in 2024 to 30 million by 2030, through the expansion of infrastructure projects.
Rama also promised to increase pensions and salaries.
Rama's main opponent is Sali Berisha, 80 years old, a former president and former prime minister, who claims that Albania is not yet ready for EU membership.
More than 570 international observers, from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe, monitored the elections, underscoring the importance the international community attaches to a credible and transparent electoral process.
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