Albania goes to polls in key test of its democratic maturity

(TIRANA) - Albania goes to the polls in local elections Sunday in a crucial test of the Balkan country's fragile democracy as it pushes to join the EU.

Since the fall of communism in the early 1990s, Albanian elections have been often marred by violence and accusations of fraud from all sides.

"More than the results, the real importance of these elections are the values of the democracy that should win," parliamentary speaker Ilir Meta told AFP.

The ruling socialist-led coalition is on course for a "spectacular victory", according to opinion polls, with major local government reforms reducing the number of municipalities from 373 to 61.

But youthful opposition leader Luzlim Basha, the mayor of the capital Tirana, has billed the elections as a "popular referendum against the ruling majority", and has already warned they could be "fake and rigged".

More than 3.3 million people have a vote in Sunday's poll, with the Albanian diaspora in Greece, Italy and beyond playing a key role in some areas.

Prime Minister Edi Rama has painted the elections as a chance to "give a new boost to economic development projects".

The EU will be closely watching the vote, with almost 400 foreign and 5,000 local observers monitoring its conduct.

NATO member Albania is one of Europe's poorest countries with some 14.3 percent of the population living below the poverty line, according to the national statistics, with a similarly high unemployment rate.

Albania obtained EU candidate status a year ago. The move was aimed at encouraging the country's progress in the fight against corruption and organised crime and establishing the rule of law.