Albania's Socialists clinch fourth election win in a row

Preliminary election results on Tuesday show a clear victory for Albania's ruling Socialist Party, with Prime Minister Edi Rama on his way to a fourth term in office.

The incumbents drew support from voters backing the country's push to join the European Union and Prime Minister Edi Rama's bid for a fourth term.

How is Albania's voting stacking up?

With about 96% of votes counted, Rama's Socialists secured 52.09%, or 82 seats in the 140-seat Parliament. The opposition Democratic Party-led coalition, headed by Sali Berisha, followed with 34.44%, or 52 seats.

Three smaller parties will take the remaining seats.

The Central Election Commission says final results are due within 48 hours of voting.

Rama's party has pledged to secure EU membership within five years, a goal Berisha and other conservatives argue Albania is not yet ready to meet.

What do the results mean for parliament?

With their current numbers, Albania’s left-wing Socialists may be able to govern alone.

Preliminary turnout on Sunday was 42.21%, about 4% lower than in the previous election.

The Central Election Commission says, by law, final results are due within 48 hours of the vote. However, results may be delayed after the opposition requested that ballots from the diaspora in neighboring Greece, around 53,000, not be counted, claiming they have been manipulated.

This election marked the first time that diaspora voters could participate by mail. Roughly 195,000 people sent in postal votes.

Eligible voters in Albania and abroad were choosing 140 lawmakers for a four-year term. Due to mass emigration, Albania has a population of 2.4 million but nearly 3.7 million registered voters.