Albanian government holds rally against opposition

The Albanian government held a rally on Sunday to show its strength to the opposition, which has been asking for the ouster of the government over an alleged vote-rigging and corruption.

Tens of thousands of government supporters took part in the rally, which was organized by the ruling Democrats in the form of an open-air concert, at a central square in capital Tirana.

People carried the flags of Albania, the ruling party, NATO and the European Union. They chanted Prime Minister Sali Berisha's name when he appeared on stage to make a speech.

"People will speak with their vote, and no one will come to power through violence," Berisha said, referring to the anti-government demonstrations organized by the opposition Socialist Party.

During an anti-government rally on Jan. 21, four people were killed and dozens more injured when the protest turned violent and security forces opened fire.

The opposition and the ruling coalition government have been at loggerheads since the 2009 general election.

"We will continue to demonstrate to remove the current regime out of power," Edi Rama, the opposition leader, told a rally on Friday.

Source: Xinhua