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| Municipality of Tirana |
This week, leaders of two protest movements announced that they would like to run for mayor, increasing the number of candidates who have made an official announcement that they will be running for the position of chief executive of Tirana.
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| Arlind Qorri |
Arlind Qorri of the Bashke Movement, a radical left university protest movement's offspring, and Endri Shabani of Nisma Thurje, a centrist anti-establishment political movement, are the two applicants. They join civil society activist and former Democratic Party MP Lajla Pernaska, who says she will run as an independent.
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| Endri Shabani |
Belind Kellici, a Democratic Party MP who has the support of the largest opposition groups, and Socialist Party two-term incumbent Erion Veliaj are expected to be the main contenders.
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| Belind Kelliçi |
Election experts note that independent and third-party candidates have historically primarily served to divert votes from one of the main parties' candidates, but the number and quality of the candidates are novel.
A court case that will determine whether the Kellici-supporting faction, which represents the majority of party members and effectively controls the party, will be able to run under the party logo is still causing division in the Democratic Party.
It is unknown whether the Enkelejd Alibeaj-led minority group challenging the current leadership will field its own candidates for mayor, a move that could seriously harm the opposition's chances of winning.
This year's local elections are a return to democracy after an opposition boycott four years ago resulted in a voting process with the lowest turnout ever and many races without a contest.
Due to the opposition's demands to participate in the June 30, 2019, unprecedented elections, President Ilir Meta called them off and set a new date so the opposition could participate.
The elections were held on time and supported by the international community by the Albanian government of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama. The Socialist Party won all but one of the country's 61 municipal mayoral seats.