TIRANA - Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has secured a third term in power for him and his Socialist Party after winning 49 percent of the vote - and 74 of 140 parliamentary seats - in Tuesday's election. His main opposition, the centre-right Democratic Party led by Lulzim Basha, won 39 percent of the votes and 59 seats.

  This victory came after a long and bitter campaign that saw many instances of violence between the supporters of the rival parties, as well as accusations of the misuse of public funds during campaigning. Last week, a Socialist Party supporter was killed and four people were injured in a fight between two groups of supporters.

  Addressing a huge crowd in Tirana's main Skanderbeg Square, breaking coronavirus regulations to celebrate the victory, Rama said, "My dream ... is to make Albania in this decade ... the Balkan champion, in tourism and agro-tourism, in energy and agriculture and in fast, qualitative, incorruptible digital services." The new government, to be formed in September, will also aim to make the reforms necessary in Albania's bid to join the EU.

  Lulzim Basha, has accused him of fixing the vote in an "electoral massacre." He said to his supporters, "These elections had nothing to do with democracy, we entered this battle with a regime that did everything to destroy an honest election campaign."

  Rama, the artist and former basketball player, has been in power since 2013, though some have accused him of tending towards authoritarianism.

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