Albania and 2009 Parliamentary Elections: Election Campaign with the Taste of Blood
Albania and 2009 Parliamentary Elections: Election Campaign with the Taste of Blood

Author(s): Aljaf Bakhtyar, Zijad Bećirović
Subject(s): Politics, Governance, Political history, Government/Political systems, Electoral systems, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010)
Published by: IFIMES Mednarodni inštitut za bližnjevzhodne in balkanske študije
Keywords: Albania; parliamentary elections; 2009; campaign; politics; PD; PS;
Summary/Abstract: Unlike the beginning of the election campaign when different signals were sent, the final part of the campaign has become r aggressive. The two main protagonists, Sali Berisha (Democratic Party - PD) and Edi Rama (Socialist Party - PS), reduced their duels to the level of personal insults. The tensions led to the assassination of a Democratic Party activist in a village near Kavaja, but the situation was soon put under control in order to avoid further clashes between the two political parties. Despite the political benefits of the assassination for the Democratic Party the reactions were reduced to the level of verbal conflicts which paved the way for potential political radicalisation. Severe verbal conflicts and accusations have marked all public meetings and television debates in recent days, diverting attention from the essential problems present in the Albanian society.

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