PS

The “Kasselistas” are escalating their internal power play, pressuring the five alternates on the SYRIZA State List. So far, the first alternate, Popi Tsapanidou, along with the other four candidates who could claim Iliopoulos’ seat, have remained silent.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced Albania's new government Sunday. For the next four years, 13 ministers will aid him in running the country after his Socialist Party, PS, won an overwhelming majority in the June 25 elections.

According to Albania's Central Electoral Commission, CEC, preliminary results show that the Socialist Party, PS, in power since 2013, won 51.65 per cent, after 40 per cent of votes have been counted.

Albanians are tensely awaiting election results which will be announced only on Monday after the long process of transporting votes from the polling station to the counters has taken place.

On Sunday voting for the general elections began at 7am local time and continued until 8pm - one hour later than expected as polling station closures were postponed on account of the low turnout.

Albania's main opposition Democratic Party and its allies stand to lose out financially from their boycott of the elections due on June 18.

The country's electoral code provides that parties that register to participate in elections are entitled to state aid when it comes to their campaign expenses.

Albania's main opposition Democratic Party, PD, and Libra, a new party established by the former Socialist MP Ben Blushi, are turning to the internet to help them select the MPs that will run on their lists for the June 18 general elections.

PD spokeswoman Ina Zhupa told BIRN that in the first days of this online process the response had been very high.