Albanians
were voting in a parliamentary election on Sunday with the ruling Socialists
and rival Democrats seeking a majority to push through judicial reforms vital
for
membership of the European Union.
The race
pits Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama against the center-right Democratic
Party of Lulzim Basha. Neither party won the 70 seats needed for a majority in
the 2013 or 2009 election.
Polls opened
at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) on what is forecast to be the hottest day of the year so
far with temperatures reaching 39 degrees Celsius. They close at 7 p.m.
The elderly
and the young were up early to vote when polling stations opened in Tirana, to
avoid the heat or to head to the beach after voting. Turnout at 1 p.m. was
27.28 percent.
Thousands of
Muslims, who make up 60 percent of the population, recited prayers in the
newly-built pedestrian square in central Tirana early on Sunday to mark the end
of Ramadan.
Exit poll
results are expected shortly after polls close, with the first official results
due on Monday.
The vote
will be watched closely by Albania's European neighbors, keen for it to leave
behind a history of election irregularities and violence.
"I
expect a radical change, a better future for the Albanians so they don’t
emigrate throughout the world," Tirana resident Petrit Sulo said after
casting his ballot.
Campaigning
has been mainly peaceful after a pact by the two main rivals that sought to
guarantee a trouble-free election.
Both main
parties want to ditch the Socialist Integration Movement (SIM) of
president-elect Ilir Meta, which gained the role of king-maker by propping up
their respective governments for the last eight years.
"I am
full of confidence this will be a beautiful day for Albania," Rama said
after casting his ballot.
The Interior
Ministry said in a statement hundreds of cases of vote buying and intimidation
of voters had been reported, but did not give more details on the political
parties involved in those incidents.
'FACADES AND
PALM TREES'
Opinion
polls give Rama's Socialists the edge over the Democrats, but it is not clear
whether he could garner enough support to win an outright majority.
The two
frontrunners have said they will jointly ask the European Union to advance
towards accession. They have not said whether they might rule together in
coalition.
Since taking
office, the Socialists have improved tax collection and boosted the performance
of the electricity sector. Economic growth accelerated to 3.45 percent last
year, compared with 0.97 percent in 2013.
But they
failed to fulfil promises to create 300,000 new jobs and secure free health
care for everyone aged over 40. The country's international reputation was
tarnished by data showing Albania had become Europe's biggest open-air cannabis
producer.
Basha, a
foreign-educated former transport and interior minister, accuses Rama of
glossing over Albania's problems with "facades and palm trees" and
says he has neglected the economy.
Implementing
a sweeping judicial reform aimed at rooting out widespread graft will be a
priority for the next government as it seeks progress towards joining the
European Union.
"This
is the chance to do something to change the country. It is a hot day but it is
the day when you decide for the next four years for yourself and your
families," Basha said after casting his vote.
Rama said
last month the Balkan country could get a green light for formal talks to start
at the end of this year.
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