Albanian PM slams Tunisia-style coup, calls counter protest

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha yesterday slammed the opposition for a “Tunisia-style” revolt and called for counter demonstrations as opposition leaders vowed to continue their protest.

Berisha accused the socialist opposition of wanting “a Tunisian-style scenario for Albania” by staging “a coup to seize power by force”.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets for an anti-government protest called by the socialist opposition last Friday. The demonstration ended with violent clashes between protesters and the police and three people were killed.

Longtime Tunisian leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted in mid-January amid street protests and fled to Saudi Arabia.

The clashes in Albania last Friday marked the first time opposition protests had ended in violence since a political crisis erupted there after disputed 2009 general elections.

“I call on Albanians to gather Wednesday in Tirana to protest against the violence, it will be a big demonstration against violence”, Berisha told a press conference.

His call came shortly after opposition leader Edi Rama vowed that the anti-government protests would continue.

“After the mourning period we will start the protest again,” Rama, who is also the mayor of Tirana, told AFP yesterday.

It is unclear when the anti-government protests will start again as two of the victims are still in the morgue and it is not known when they will be buried.

A third victim was being buried yesterday with the opposition leaders attending the ceremony.

It also remained unclear who had shot the demonstrators, but Berisha earlier said they had been killed by weapons that police and the army “do not use” and blamed the protest’s organisers for the violence.

The opposition said the victims were shot by soldiers as they tried to enter government buildings.

The Albanian prosecutor’s office announced yesterday it has issued at least six arrest warrants for people suspected of playing a role in the deaths but would give no further details.

“Six arrest warrants were issued yesterday afternoon by the prosecution but as long as they have not been carried out by the police we cannot confirm the names nor the functions of the people,” prosecution spokesman Plator Nesturi said.

According to prosecution sources the warrants were issued for “six soldiers of the republican guard who will be investigated for the shooting death of at least three people”.