Europe's center-right called on to mediate Albania politics

TIRANA, Albania – Albania's governing left-wing coalition says they will ask Europe's center-right parties, where the country's opposition is a member, to convince the opposition to sit down to talks and take part in the country's parliamentary election.

Prime Minister Edi Rama of the main governing Socialist Party and Parliament Speaker Ilir Meta of the Socialist Movement for Integration on Saturday said they would ask for help from European People's Party and European Union Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn.

The Democratic Party-led opposition says they will boycott Albania's June 18 parliamentary election unless a caretaker government takes the country to the polls. They say the Cabinet will manipulate the vote with drug money, and have declined to negotiate.

Since mid-February, their supporters have blocked the main boulevard in the capital, Tirana, with a tent.