TIRANA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Albanian opposition supporters are trying to disrupt the preparations for the local elections in several cities across the country, mainly in the cities governed by opposition mayors, the local media reported on Wednesday.
According to the local media, ahead of the local elections which are scheduled for June 30, opposition supporters are trying to sabotage the electoral infrastructure.
Opposition supporters in areas such as Lezha, Tropoja, Shkodra and Kukes in northern Albania are entering premises where electoral materials are being held and trying to destroy them.
The local media declared that the supporters also clashed with the state police forces.
In a statement for the media, Albanian Interior Minister Sander Lleshaj condemned the attack against the electoral process.
"The electoral process is being attacked and provoked in an organized manner by the opposition supporters and the state police will respond accordingly to those who break the law," Lleshaj stated.
Local authorities in the areas governed by opposition mayors are trying to prevent elections from taking place due to a decree issued by the Albanian President Ilir Meta around 10 days ago, who decided to cancel the local elections date, which according to him can not be "fair and democratic without the participation of the opposition parties."
Meanwhile, the country's main opposition parties, whose lawmakers have resigned from their parliament seats since mid-February said they will not allow the elections to be held. The opposition has held several anti-government demonstrations, some of which have turned violent. The opposition asks for the socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama and his cabinet to resign, accusing them of corruption and electoral fraud.
Rama, on the other hand, called the president's decree "unconstitutional", insisting that elections should be held on June 30.
