Albania Elections Disrupted

Opposition parties accused the ruling Democrats of engineering widespread election irregularities and pulled out of parliamentary voting Sunday.

The move by at least five parties - including all of the major opposition ones - is a blow to hopes that Albania could make a relatively smooth transition to democracy after decades under one of the world’s harshest Communist dictatorships.

The Socialist Party, successors to Albania’s Communists, led four other parties in pulling out of the nationwide balloting. Party officials made the announcement several hours before polls were scheduled to close.