TIRANA: The Albanian opposition is gearing up for another anti-government protest Friday despite appeals by the international community to cancel it and police warning of a high risk of violence.
The main opposition Socialist Party, which is organising the rally, said it is aimed at honouring the three victims of violent clashes that marred last week's anti-government demonstration.
“I want to assure you that it will be peaceful and quiet, there will be flowers and candles”, opposition leader Edi Rama said, in a televised press conference Thursday evening.
“Everything will be normal: not provoking anyone and not being provoked by anyone.”
Earlier, police warned that “the demonstration represents a danger for national security” and that following last week’s protests they “could not guarantee” a good outcome of the rally.
Rama, who is also the mayor of Tirana, said he regretted the police statement.
“I would like to convey our deepest respect for the police ... I am calling for respect and solidarity to be shown to the police,” he added.
During last week’s protests demonstrators pelted police officers with stones and set some police cars on fire.
The opposition has not yielded to repeated appeals by the international community to delay or cancel the protest in order to reduce tension in the Balkans country.
They have urged participants to “silently follow the procession led by families of the victims, Rama and all socialist deputies”.
Under Albania’s majority Muslim traditions, the seventh day after a death is a special moment to pay homage to the dead.
Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha on Wednesday cancelled a pro-government rally planned for Saturday in response to international pressure to calm the situation.
Last Friday, tens of thousands of people turned out for a protest rally organised by Rama, calling on the government to resign over allegations of corruption and electoral fraud.
The subsequent clashes between demonstrators and the security forces left three people dead and a fourth critically wounded.
This is the longest ever political crisis in Albania, caused as the opposition has persistently contested the results of the June 2009 parliamentary elections.
Ever since the 1991 fall of Albania’s hardline communist regime, elections in the country have been marred by violence and allegations of fraud.
The current political deadlock has slowed Albania’s path to European Union membership and Brussels has made it clear it is one of the obstacles to progress in this area.
Albania, a Nato member since spring 2009, submitted an application for EU membership almost two years ago, but has not been given a formal candidate status yet.
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