TIRANA, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Albanian citizens across the country vote on Sunday to elect the mayors and city councils for 61 cities and towns, with main opposition parties boycotting the elections and their supporters choosing to protest peacefully.
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) and the Socialist Movement for Integration (SMI) have chosen to boycott the elections, accusing the ruling Socialist majority and Prime Minister Edi Rama of being corrupt and not holding free and democratic elections.
According to the DP and the SMI, these elections are a throwback in the Albanian one-party history, when the ruling Socialist party had only one candidate with no rivals.
Opposition supporters have chosen to protest in various forms, avoiding clashes with the police forces.
Some voters, according to the local media, throw papers at a fake ballot box in the streets of capital Tirana, making irony of the Socialist government that is organizing local elections with only one candidate for mayor.
The Socialist candidates for mayor have no rival candidates in 31 out of 61 districts across the country, and the rest are running against the candidates of some small parties.
After casting his ballot, Interior Minister Sander Lleshaj told reporters that voting was proceeding calmly. According to the minister, the opposition missed the chance to participate in the elections.
Meanwhile, after voting in the village of Surrel, part of the capital city Tirana, where he is a resident, Prime Minister Rama told reporters that this day confirms that no one can play with the people.
70 year-old Ibrahim, after casting his ballot in Tirana, told Xinhua that he voted for the Socialist candidate Erion Veliaj who is running for a second mandate as mayor of Tirana, calling Veliaj's work admirable.
Student Aleksander told Xinhua that he will not vote today, adding that he is not "interested in any of the candidates or in politics."
Arsena Dashi, a young pharmacist, said that she voted, adding that she expects the situation in Albania to change after the local elections.
"I hope political parties will give an end to the political crisis in the country and change the situation for us young people and to work for the improvement of our living conditions and go forward toward European Union integration," Dashi said.
Meanwhile, in Elbasan, the third largest city in the country, some 40 km south of Tirana, 50-year-old teacher Lavdie said that she voted for the only socialist candidate running for mayor in Elbasan.
"I believe that the candidate Gledian Llatja will work harder than the previous mayor and under his direction the city will develop and change more."
International representative offices in Albania have called on Albanian parties and their supporters to restrain from violence during the local elections.
President Ilir Meta has decided to cancel with a decree June 30 as the date of local elections, which according to him, would not be "fair and democratic" without the participation of the opposition. He decreed instead Oct. 13 as the new date for elections.
In a reaction to Meta's decision, the ruling Socialists and the lawmakers in the parliament voted against this decision, and called this act as "unconstitutional", insisting on holding the elections as scheduled.
According to Rama, the main goal of the opposition is to disrupt the European Union integration process of the country.
Voting for the election of the mayors that will administer for the next four years across Albania will end at 7:00 p.m. local time.
