By Benet Koleka
TIRANA (Reuters) - Albania's presidential vote in July must run smoothly without a repetition of last year's violence over election fraud if there is to be progress in the country's bid to join the EU, an official of the bloc said on Thursday.
"2012 offers a window of opportunity for Albania to make a leap in the enlargement process," EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule told reporters, before speaking to the Albanian parliament, where the vote for president will be cast.
The European Union twice in the past two years has told the impoverished Balkan country it is not yet ready to become an official candidate for accession, putting Albania behind neighbours Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia in the queue to join.
Fule told the lawmakers the country needed to show progress on 12 critical areas ranging from a establishing a fully functioning democracy to fighting crime and corruption.
Albania's government and the opposition struck a deal late last year to reform the electoral system and parliamentary procedures after the opposition Socialist Party accused the ruling Democratic Party of manipulating votes in a 2009 parliamentary election.
Long-running opposition demonstrations over the vote turned violent in January last year and four protesters were shot dead by security forces. Two members of the security forces have been charged with murder.
But the parties have yet to agree on the reforms, raising the prospect of a challenge to the election of a new president by parliament when Bamir Topi is replaced in July. Internal political strife has delayed other reforms.
"I sincerely hope you will be able to maintain the current constructive atmosphere for the smooth conduct of the presidential election," Fule told parliament.
He said it was essential to "shed full light" on the violence of January last year, "through a credible judicial process free from political interference".
"There is no time to lose and Albania needs to focus on delivering concrete results notably in the fight against corruption and organised crime."
After his speech, lawmakers passed legislation creating an administrative complaints court that had been delayed for more than two years by political bickering.
(Reporting By Benet Koleka, Editing by Matt Robinson and Michael Roddy)
