Elections of May 14/ VOA: PD of Alibeaj decides on the term limits for registration in the CEC

On the eve of the expiration of the legal deadline of March 27 to submit the names to the Central Election Commission, the Socialist Party approved the list of candidates for mayors in all 61 municipalities of the country at the meeting of the presidency on Saturday evening.

The Socialists re-candidated in these local elections the majority, or 45 out of 61, of the mayors who are currently in office, and only 16 candidates are new in several large municipalities and a dozen smaller municipalities.

The general secretary of the Socialist Party, Taulant Balla, declared that the re-elections of the mayors are deserved, while the new candidates have gained the trust of the party's forums.

"The Socialist Party has the responsibility to choose the next mayors, while our rivals are choosing their candidates in different seats", said Mr. Balla.

Among the names of the new socialist candidates is Benet Beci, who left the deputy's mandate to run for mayor in Shkodër, where the local government is held by the opposition.

The new candidate for the municipality of Vlora is Ermal Dredha, where the socialists did not re-candidate the current mayor Dritan Leli.

At the same time as the socialists, the opposition Democratic Party led by the vice-president Enkelejd Alibeaj held a meeting until late after midnight.

According to reports, the presidency and the college of presidents discussed not so much about the names of the candidates, but more about the forms and criteria of the candidacy of this opposition party, which has been registered by the Central Election Commission as an electoral subject.

Sources from the meeting told the press that final decisions could be reached on Sunday, when it is expected to resume.

The general secretary of this party, Gazment Bardhi, declared again before this meeting that "he would continue his efforts until the last deadline, to ensure cooperation on joint candidacies" from another part of the opposition, which supports the former prime minister Sali Berisha.

Ky i fundit ka refuzuar bashkëpunimin me zotin Alibeaj si dhe bashkimin e kandidatëve në një listë të përbashkët.

Mospajtimet mes tyre sa vijnë e thellohen qysh nga koha kur zoti Berisha u shpall non grata nga SHBA-të për korrupsion domethënës dhe cënim të demokracisë, e sidomos pas përjashtimit nga grupi parlamentar i PD-së prej ish kryetarit Lulzim Basha.

Emrat e kandidatëve të përzgjedhur nga grupimi i mbështetësve të ish kryeministrit Berisha pritet të dërgohen në KQZ nga Partia e Lirisë, me të cilën kanë një marrëveshje bashkëpunimi.

Zoti Berisha dhe ndjekësit e tij nuk u regjistruan nga KQZ si subjekt zgjedhor për mungesë dokumentash, ndaj kandidatët për kryetarë dhe këshilltarë të tyre pritet të përfshihen në lista të përbashkëta me Partinë e Lirisë të ish presidentit Ilir Meta.

In another meeting of the opposition, former Prime Minister Berisha announced a scheme for dividing the list for municipal council candidates, between the Democrats, PL, PBDNJ and PDK, "sharing together both the risk and the advantages ”./ Received from VOA