Albania starts counting votes in general election

Albanian authorities have started counting votes for the country's general election, marred by gunfire at a polling station on Sunday which left one dead and two others wounded. According to the latest data from the Central Election Commission, 226 ballot boxes out 1,422 in total in the region of Tirana have been counted, while similar progress was underway across the country. Preliminary results were expected later on Monday, whereas the official results are not expected to be announced until Tuesday. The Democratic Party has called on all political parties to proceed with calm and not to block the counting process. "No political force should block process, because citizens want to see their votes counted in an accurate and rapid way," said DP lawmaker Gerti Bogdani in press conference. Sunday's turnout was 53 percent of some 3.27 million registered voters, according to the Central Election Commission. Initial exit poll indicated a narrow lead for the opposition Socialist Party-led coalition of Edi Rama, who is running against Prime Minister Sali Berisha of the Democratic party. Both claimed victory after polls closed Sunday evening. Berisha and Rama have both expressed hopes that Albania can gain entry to the EU, and Sunday's election was seen as a test of whether the country can run a fair and safe election. Last month, the Albanian parliament held an extraordinary session to pass the last three laws in a series of 12 key recommendations required by the EU as part of the country's quest for eventual membership.