Albania’s Victorious Socialists Focus on Ousting President

After winning an unprecedented third mandate to govern Albania, Edi Rama's Socialist Party has turned its attention to its only rival who currently has a senior institutional position, President Ilir Meta.

The head of the parliamentary group of the Socialist Party, Taulant Balla, said that on Friday, a request by 50 MPs was submitted to start a procedure for the dismissal of President Meta for allegedly breaching the constitution.

"The president, before and during the campaign, committed actions that are contrary to the constitution of the country," Balla said on Monday.

He said that despite a previous parliamentary resolution asking Meta to abide by constitutional rules, "he has continued to carry out actions that are contrary to the constitution".

Meta, the former leader of the Socialist Movement for Integration party, intervened repeatedly during the campaign in support of the opposition and against the Socialists, who he accused of preparing to rig the elections.

He was accused of inciting violence at a press conference four days before the elections when he called on voters in the towns of Fier and Mallakastra to "sharpen their pitchforks, scythes, axes and whatever they have… and have them ready for Sunday, if a single vote is touched".

The US ambassador to Albania, Yuri Kim, described his comments as "unacceptable".

"These threats deserve condemnation. Those who incite violence will be held responsible for the results of their words and actions," Kim said.

The Socialist MPs accused him of favouring opposition parties and denigrating their party, "thus seriously violating the equality of political competition and violating the impartiality that the constitution has given to the president of the republic...