Albania’s opposition tries to disrupt a parliament session in protest against ruling Socialists

By LLAZAR SEMINI
Associated Press

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albanian opposition lawmakers have caused commotion in Parliament, trying to disrupt a session in protest against what they say is increasingly authoritarian rule by the governing Socialists. Democratic lawmakers on Thursday blocked left-wing Socialists of Prime Minister Edi Rama from taking their seats and stacked chairs on top of each other in the central hall. However, Thursday’s session in the 140-member chamber eventually went ahead and 73 Socialist lawmakers voted in favor of 21 draft laws. The parliament disturbances first started two weeks ago when the prosecutors accused top lawmaker Sali Berisha of the Democratic Party of corruption related to a land-buying scheme.