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By Kerin Hope in Tirana

Unofficial early results from Albania’s general election on Monday showed the governing right-of-centre Democratic party in a tighter-than-expected contest with the opposition Socialists after a mostly orderly poll.

The country’s 12 electoral districts were evenly split between the two parties, with between 5 and 20 per cent of votes counted, according to ECA, an independent monitoring organisation.

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The vote was closely monitored by more than 400 international observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Some irregularities were reported, but there were no violent incidents.

If the election is deemed to meet international standards Albania will stand a better chance of seeing its application approved to become an official candidate for European Union membership.

“Whatever the outcome, it’s already clear it will be uncontested. The political leaders have been speaking with maturity,” said Remzi Lani, a political commentator.

According to results from ECA, the Democrats, led by Sali Berisha, the prime minister, were ahead in strongholds in the north and the country’s main port of Durres.

The Socialists, under Edi Rama, the mayor of Tirana, took the lead in the capital and another 5 districts in the more heavily populated centre and south of the country.

Officials at the national election commission said counting would not be completed until Monday evening.

Ballot counting procedures were slow because of a proportional election system being used for the first time along with new technology to prevent fraud.

Scanners were installed in the country’s 66 electoral centres, along with screens to display each ballot paper to observers from political parties and international organisations.

“It’s important that we get this exactly right,” said Shpresa Brecani, an accountant and member of the election committee in Tirana’s 10th district, as ballot boxes were finally opened at 2:30 am, more than seven hours after the polls closed.