TIRANA (Albania), March 18 (SeeNews) – A protest rally called by Albania’s opposition to demand the resignation of Socialist prime minister Edi Rama in order to trigger early elections turned violent as protesters tried to storm the parliament building in Tirana over the weekend.
A footage run by local TV station Top Channel showed police using tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters on Saturday after a group of them broke through the metal railings in front of the parliament building and threw smoke bombs and stones at a police line guarding the building.
Three police officers and some protesters were injured in the clash while 33 persons were detained for acts of violence in front of the parliament building, the police said in a statement on Sunday, describing the protest as an unauthorized rally.
The opposition, whose lawmakers gave up their seats in parliament last month, has refused dialogue with Rama, calling instead for a transitional government without Rama that would be tasked with preparing early elections.
Saturday’s protest was the fifth since the middle of February as the opposition seeks fresh elections, accusing the government of corruption and electoral fraud.
Representatives of international institutions in Albania have warned the opposition against using violence and called on them to enter dialogue with the government.
Last month, the EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn said that the opposition's decision to leave parliament seriously hinders the functioning of democracy in Albania. The parliament is the place where reforms and relevant developments should be discussed and taken forward, not boycotted, they said in a joint statement.
According to Albania’s constitution, snap elections can be called only if the government loses a vote of no-confidence in parliament.
Albania was granted EU candidate status in 2014 and hopes to launch membership negotiations later this year.