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| During the vote counting process at the Sports Palace in Tirana |
In Albania, the Socialist Party is heading towards a significant victory across the entire country. Although the counting has not yet concluded in the 27 municipalities, it appears that the socialists have gained control of 54 cities, compared to only 6 won by the "Together We Win" coalition composed of the Democrats led by former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, Mr. Meta's Freedom Party, and the Union for Human Rights and Christian Democrats.
This coalition has won in Has, Mirditë, Pukë, Fushë-Arrëz, Memaliaj, and Himara. The latter became a heated point of contention after the arrest of opposition candidate Fredi Beleri on charges of vote-buying. Mr. Beleri emerged as the winner in the last two ballot boxes, with a difference of only 19 votes.
A significant blow to the opposition is in the city of Shkodra, its historical stronghold, where socialist candidate Benet Beci is leading by 11,000 votes, with only a few ballot boxes left to be counted.
The socialists have also expanded their influence in many other areas of the country, which were predominantly controlled by the right wing.
The only municipality that has not been won by either the left or the right is Finiq, where the socialists did not compete, leaving the field open to the representatives of the Mega Party, which primarily supports the Greek minority.
In Tirana, the current Mayor Erion Veliaj is leading by almost 26,000 votes against the candidate of the "Together We Win" coalition, Belind Këlliçi, with more than 60 percent of the ballot boxes counted. The candidate of the "United Movement," a political formation registered shortly before the elections, Arlind Qorri, has so far managed to secure a few hundred votes advantage over Roland Bejko, the candidate of the Democratic Party, led by Enkelejd Alibeaj.