The tense situation at KZAZ No. 40, located in “Sami Frashëri” school in Tirana, was resolved following intense debates between representatives of the Opportunity Party (Partia Mundësia) and election officials.

At one of the counting tables, ballots for the Opportunity Party were being declared invalid on the grounds that the paper color slightly differed from the standard format.

It was the direct intervention of party leader Agron Shehaj, along with extended discussions with KZAZ officials and counting staff, that led to a resolution.

“The ballots that were declared invalid will now be considered valid. Since the beginning of the process, hundreds of similar ballots have been counted without any issue about the color. This was the first time we heard such a justification. After two hours of debate, those votes will now be counted as valid,” Shehaj stated.

Initially, seven ballots for the Opportunity Party were declared invalid, later reduced to three based on claims of color discrepancy. The decision sparked strong reactions from party representatives, who accused officials of trying to influence the final outcome and obstruct the party from winning its second mandate in Tirana.

During a heated exchange, Shehaj warned KZAZ officials: “You will be held accountable and face prosecution for these manipulations.”

Following the resolution of the dispute, the vote-counting process at KZAZ 40 resumed normally. The Opportunity Party remains locked in a tight race for its second mandate in Tirana, with its representatives asserting that the issue was a deliberate attempt to sway the result.