TIRANA, Albania
Hundreds of thousands of people are estimated to have protested in the Albanian capital of Tirana, calling for the resignation of the government amid claims that the parliament speaker ordered the assassination of two lawmakers.
The demonstration Thursday, organized by opposition parties, came amid allegations by Socialist Party MP Tom Doshi, who claimed Parliament Speaker Ilir Meta had ordered his killing and that of Democratic Party MP Mhil Fufi.
Democratic Party officials said 300,000 protesters gathered at the central square of Skanderbeg and walked towards the government building chanting slogans calling for the resignation the coalition government comprising Edi Rama’s Socialist Party and Meta’s Socialist Movement for Integration, which came to power in September 2013.
Police did not provide estimates of the crowd size.
- 'Repression and taxes'
Democratic Party leader Lulzim Basha, who accused Rama and Meta of being "security threats" to Albania said in an address to protesters: "We all ask Parliament Speaker Ilir Meta to resign ... resign and face the accusations of commissioning the killing of two MPs.
"Gangs negotiate in the state's top offices."
Basha went on: "Since coming to power, Rama and Meta have increased repression and taxes.
"Uncertainty threatens people everyday -- people live in fear. There is no greater crime than a security threat to the people."
"We will not stop until PM Edi Rama and Parliament speaker Ilir Meta leave," he said.
He also called on the government not to "put pressure on the judiciary and prosecution and to fully untangle these charges."
- Corruption claims
The Albanian prosecution last week questioned several officials and Rama after Doshi, the wealthiest MP in the 140-seat Albanian parliament who was expelled from Rama's Socialist Party last week, made the allegations.
Meta, Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri, former PM Sali Berisha, two deputies and two prosecutors were also summoned over the claims.
Doshi had been a close ally of Rama over the past six years, but was expelled from the Socialist Party’s parliamentary group on March 2 after Rama said his criticism of some ministers and directors of government was unacceptable.
In January, 2011, Ilir Meta, then-deputy PM in coalition with the right-wing Democratic Party, was accused of corruption after being caught on video published by Albanian private TV channel Top Channel discussing a $700,000 bribe with Economy, Trade and Energy Minister Dritan Prifti, who was a member of his Socialist Movement for Integration Party.
The video led to a series of protests against the government held by the then-opposition Socialist Party led by Rama.
Four protesters were shot dead by security forces in front of the government building on Jan. 21, 2011.
