By Briseida Mema (AFP) – 12 hours ago
TIRANA — Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha on Saturday slammed the opposition for a "Tunisia-style" revolt and called for counter demonstrations as opposition leaders vowed to continue their protest.
Berisha accused the socialist opposition of wanting "a Tunisian-style scenario for Albania" by staging "a coup to seize power by force".
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets for an anti-government protest called by the socialist opposition on Friday. The demonstration ended with violent clashes between protesters and the police and three people were killed...
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Tensions have been mounting for months between Albania's conservative government and the main opposition Socialist Party. They rose sharply last week when Deputy Prime Minister Ilir Meta resigned after a private TV station aired a video that it said showed him asking a colleague to influence the awarding of a contract to build a power station.
On Friday night, protesters overturned and burned police vehicles Friday night and clashed with officers who fought them off with tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon. Two men were fatally shot in the chest and another died of a wound to the head.
The United States and the European Union have both appealed for calm.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha said at a press conference the men had been killed by "bandits" within the protesters and accused the leader of the main opposition Socialist Party of attempting a coup.
"I am here today to tell that you were the one who organized the anti-constitutional putsch ... for which you will have to face the consequences of the law," Berisha said.
He charged that the demonstrators included "gangs of criminals, bandits, traffickers and terrorists" trying to overthrow the government with a "Tunisian-style" demonstration — referring to the rioting that drove out Tunisia's president this month.
Socialist Party leader Edi Rama accused Berisha of being the "political orchestrator" of the deaths and he called for the arrest of Interior Minister Lulzim Basha.
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