Albanians were voting Sunday to decide whether to give Prime Minister Edi Rama a fourth term or side with his longstanding rival in an election seen as crucial for the country's European Union ambitions.

Once each voter had cast their ballot, they had a dark blue indelible ink-mark applied to their thumbnail to prevent fraud.

Voting began at 7:00 am (0500 GMT) at 5,220 polling stations around the country and was scheduled to close at 7:00 pm.

According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), by 2:00 PM local time, the voter turnout was 30.34%.

More than 2,000 domestic and international observers have been deployed to monitor the process.

The international community views the election as a test of the Balkan nation's fragile institutions following a bitter and divisive campaign between Rama and fellow political veteran Sali Berisha.

A smooth electoral process is especially important for Albania. The most pro-EU country in the region, it nevertheless had to wait 13 years before accession negotiations officially started in July 2022.

"We hope Albania will stabilise and become a country that upholds all........

© International Business Times