Albania’s main opposition ends parliament boycott

Albania (AP) — Albania's main opposition Democrats have ended a four-month boycott of Parliament in a deal brokered by two European Parliament lawmakers.

The walkout by the center-right party, headed by Tirana Mayor Lulzim Basha, was triggered by a fistfight in Albania's Parliament in July when two governing Socialist lawmakers allegedly attacked a Democrat colleague.

The Democrats started their boycott on Sept. 1 to protest the incident and demand that all legislation of major significance require more than a simple majority of votes.

The impasse was overcome this week by European legislators Eduard Kukan of Slovakia and Knut Fleckenstein of Germany. Senior Democrat lawmaker Edi Paloka said Wednesday the agreement was accepted, but he provided few details.

The government, elected in June 2013, controls 84 seats in the 140-seat house.