Albanian Opposition Sets Off Flares During Parliament Vote

Albanian opposition lawmakers set off flares and smoke bombs inside parliament during a vote on central-bank legislation, disrupting a session as they pressed for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign. Democratic Party members, including party leader Sali Berisha, brought the protest into the chamber during a parliamentary sitting on Thursday. Lawmakers displayed photographs of demonstrators they said had been injured by police. Opposition lawmakers also blocked the podium and tried unsuccessfully to stop the vote, while governing Socialist Party lawmakers continued voting, according to reports of the session. Four opposition MPs were expelled from the chamber, one account reported. The available accounts do not establish whether the disruption changed the vote’s final outcome or led to further disciplinary action. The legislation concerns the country’s central bank. The parliamentary action followed repeated demonstrations calling for Rama’s resignation. Opposition lawmakers have accused police of using excessive force against protesters. The photographs displayed in parliament do not independently establish those allegations, and the reports do not provide independent...