Albania’s Democratic Party (PD) is facing a significant decline in membership amid growing internal divisions surrounding the leadership referendum organized by former Prime Minister Sali Berisha.

According to figures confirmed by the party headquarters, the country’s largest opposition force currently has around 50,000 members eligible to vote. The number marks a sharp drop compared to previous years.

When the Democratic Party entered opposition in 2013, the party — under the leadership of Lulzim Basha — maintained a membership of nearly 100,000 supporters until 2017. Following the party’s electoral defeat in 2021, membership reportedly fell to around 75,000.

Berisha’s return to the party leadership came with promises of opening the party to new voices and increasing participation. However, over the past five years, the Democratic Party has either lost or excluded approximately 25,000 members — nearly one-third of the membership base inherited in 2021.

Despite the decline, party officials say turnout in Saturday’s internal referendum has been strong. According to the PD Election Commission, nearly 20% of eligible members — around 11,900 voters out of 51,000 — had cast their ballots within the first three hours of voting, by 11:00 a.m.

Former Democratic Party official Ervin Salianji has challenged those figures, claiming the process is part of what he described as a “farce” within the party. Salianji said he would publish evidence allegedly proving that the turnout numbers released by party headquarters are false, insisting that fewer than 1,000 members had voted by midday.

Meanwhile, Albanian-American activist Evi Kokalari has also released what she describes as new evidence alleging that internal Democratic Party elections have been manipulated since 2022, including at the highest leadership levels within the party.

Kokalari warned that the same “manipulated process” is taking place during Saturday’s referendum and said she intends to continue her legal battle in court.