The leader of Albania’s Democratic Party (PD), Sali Berisha, has announced a nationwide protest to be held in Tirana on 22 December at 17:00 local time.

Speaking during a meeting of the party’s leadership, Mr Berisha said street protests would be the only path the opposition would follow in confronting the government and Prime Minister Edi Rama.

The rally will be the Democratic Party’s first major protest since the 11 May parliamentary elections, in which Mr Rama secured a fourth consecutive term in office, while the opposition suffered another defeat.

In recent days, the PD has organised several smaller demonstrations outside the Prime Minister’s Office. However, these gatherings have been met with scepticism and criticism due to low turnout and organisational issues.

Mr Berisha said the opposition would continue to encourage protests until a technical government is formed to oversee what he described as free and fair elections.

“There is no other agenda for the Democratic Party, and there cannot be one,” he said.