Albanian opposition returns to parliament

The opposition Socialist Party (SP) announced on Wednesday (February 24th) that its members are returning to parliament Thursday after nearly six months of boycott. “This is a step we take to show that we don’t aim to prevent reforms, and give the majority a chance to resolve the political crisis,” SP leader Edi Rama said. The party decided on the move in order to introduce two measures aimed at making the conduct of the June 2009 general elections fully transparent. The SP has insisted on a thorough investigation, saying the election was manipulated.