How Berisha is controlling the open list for Tirana

The Democratic Party's struggles in Tirana as the elections approach go beyond its closed candidate list. Polls indicate the DP is expected to win 12 parliamentary seats, which matches the number of candidates allowed in the closed list. Berisha has essentially given half of these seats to his allies, leaving out some of the party's most prominent figures in Tirana. However, this is just one part of the drama.

Through deals with Ilir Meta and, later, Shpetim Idrizi, Berisha has influenced the candidates for the open list as well. If the DP wins more than 12 seats, the thirteenth candidate is already set to be Ilir Meta.

When Berisha agreed to let two candidates from Meta’s party run on the closed list, he assumed one of them would be Meta. However, Meta later pushed for his name to be included on the open list for Tirana. As a result, two candidates from his Freedom Party will now be in the closed list, ensuring their seats in the next legislature. Meanwhile, Meta is likely to be the first to secure a seat from the open list.

The logic behind this is simple: Voters who support Meta’s party, however many they may be in Tirana, see themselves as his supporters. So, whether there are 10,000 or 15,000 voters, they will all vote for Meta. This means other candidates on the open list will essentially be competing against each other, with no real chance of winning a seat. Meta will take the top spot.

This scenario also reveals the actual level of support for Meta’s party, as his votes will represent the party's true backing. This is why the Freedom Party is urging DP followers to vote for Meta—so their own limited support doesn’t become apparent.

Sali Berisha has, in effect, sabotaged the DP’s prospects in the elections. By placing Meta on the open list, he has effectively eliminated competition. Ironically, Shpetim Idrizi is now the second most likely candidate on the open list to win a seat, even though he too secured a place on the closed list for another candidate from his party.

In the end, Meta and Idrizi are expected to dominate the open list in Tirana, leaving little room for other candidates. Berisha was aware of this from the start when he arranged the closed list and allowed the leaders to run on the open list. The only way to avoid this outcome would have been to keep them off the open list or include himself. However, since he doesn’t believe anyone from the closed list has a chance of winning, he didn’t want to take that risk. Instead, he bet everything—except his own mandate—on Meta leading the open list.

The article initially appeared in Albanian titled: "Si Berisha po mbyll dhe listën e hapur në Tiranë"