DP “vote protection structures” block Socialist activists’ car in Dibër, raising tension on election eve

One day before Albania’s parliamentary elections, Democratic Party supporters in Maqellarë, Dibër, blocked a car late Friday night, claiming it was linked to vote-buying by the Socialist Party. The incident raises concern about the DP opposition once again using illegal, quasi-paramilitary “vote protection structures,” which some fear could escalate tensions or lead to violence.

Why is this important: What makes this incident dangerous is that it mirrors past election flashpoints—most notably a deadly shooting during the 2021 campaign, when a member of the DP’s vote protection team killed an SP activist during an altercation caused by the “structures” attempts to take the law into its own hands. Although the Democratic Party claims these groups are meant to monitor the process, they have no legal authority to detain or stop vehicles. This has prompted fears that such actions amount to dangerous vigilante behavior that could intimidate voters and provoke retaliation by rivals.

Context: According to police, the car carrying Socialist officials was stopped around 22:00 on May 9 by DP supporters who alleged the passengers were distributing cash in exchange for votes. Strangely, instead of the members of the “vote protection structure” being stopped or arrested by the police and prosecutors who arrived at the scene for their illegal actions, the police went on to inspect the vehicle in the presence of prosecutors and agents from the National Bureau of Investigation. No illegal or suspicious items were found in the car.

DP MP Xhelal Mziu—who has already been implicated in other violent incidents during this campaign—claimed the vehicle belonged to a senior SP candidate for Dibër. But the SP candidate in question, who is based in a completely different part of the district, denied any connection in a video statement from Burrel and accused DP leaders of fabricating the incident. “This is circus politics,” he said. “I’m in Burrel with my campaign team. I have nothing to do with that car.”

What else: Despite the seriousness of the situation—and the fact that the actors responsible have been involved in other violent incidents in this and previous campaigns—SPAK, the Special Anti-Corruption Structure, has remained silent on the “vote protection” units. The silence is striking, given that SPAK has established a task force specifically to monitor the kind of practices that could lead to voter intimidation. Its failure to address the legality of these structures is also troubling, as such tactics can easily result in confrontation with rival supporters or law enforcement. Analysts warn that legitimizing this kind of parallel enforcement risks undermining the rule of law on election day.