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Albanian preliminary polls results show a clear win for the ruling Socialists

The Central Election Commission, the electoral executive, has said that by law the final results come out 48 hours after the vote ends.

allot boxes are checked following the end of the voting procedure in Albania's parliamentary election after a boisterous campaign dominated by the country's uphill effort to join the European Union and Prime Minister Edi Rama's bid for a fourth term, in Tirana, Albania. (AP)

Preliminary results on Tuesday give a clear victory to the ruling Socialist Party which attracted voters supporting the country’s uphill effort to join the European Union and Prime Minister Edi Rama’s bid for a fourth term.

With about 96 per cent of the votes counted, Rama’s left-wing Socialists got 52.09 per cent of the votes, or 82 seats in the 140-seat Assembly, or Parliament, followed by the opposition centre-right Democratic Party-led coalition of Sali Berisha with 34.44 per cent, or 52 seats.

Three other small parties will take the rest. The Central Election Commission, the electoral executive, has said that by law the final results come out 48 hours after the vote ends.

Rama’s Socialist Party says it can deliver EU membership in five years which is an ambitious pledge, while battling Sali Berisha of the conservative Democratic Party opponents who argues that Albania still isn’t ready for the bloc’s membership.

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