TIRANA
\nProtesters in Albania\u2019s capital of Tirana hurled petrol bombs at the government building housing Prime Minister Edi Rama\u2019s office on Monday, demanding the government\u2019s resignation after prosecutors indicted the deputy prime minister for alleged corruption.
\nPolitical tensions in Albania have escalated in recent weeks after accusations were made against Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku.
\nAlong with several officials and private companies, she has been accused of using state funds to favour some companies in major infrastructure projects.
\nShe referred to the accusations in parliament last month as \u201cmudslinging, insinuations, half-truths and lies,\u201d and stated that she would fully cooperate with the judiciary.
\nThe Special Prosecution Office, tasked with combating corruption and organised crime, has requested that parliament lift Balluku\u2019s immunity this week and allow her arrest. It is not clear when the parliament, where Rama\u2019s ruling party holds a majority, is expected to vote.
\nAs protesters threw petrol bombs on Monday, police in riot gear protected the government building but did not push back the protesters. \u201cWe have had nough because it\u2019s a matter of tens and hundreds of millions of euros stolen, and she isn\u2019t resigning. This is disgraceful,\u201d said protester Arben Sulo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TIRANA Protesters in Albania\u2019s capital of Tirana hurled petrol bombs at the government building housing Prime Minister Edi Rama\u2019s office on Monday, demanding the government\u2019s resignation after prosecutors indicted the deputy prime minister for alleged corruption. Political tensions in Albania have escalated in recent weeks after accusations were made against Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":521749,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-521721","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n