Tirana , Albania ( CNN ) -- Tension escalated in the Albanian capital Thursday as opposition members clashed with police outside the building where a commission is still counting votes from a local election that was seen as a crucible for stability in the Balkan nation . Members of the opposition Socialist Party attempted to enter the commission building by force . Police pushed them back . Protests also erupted in three other towns , including Kavaja , where roads were blocked and people burned tires . At issue is a razor-thin Tirana mayoral race in which the head of the opposition , Edi Rama , held only a 10-vote lead . A final vote tabulation by the Central Election Committee could tip the results of the May 8 vote in favor of the government candidate , former Interior Minister Lulzim Basha . Rama 's Socialist Party has accused the ruling Democratic Party of vote manipulation and has asked to check ballot boxes . Catherine Ashton , the European Union 's foreign policy chief , urged a peaceful resolution . `` The narrow result in the mayoral elections in Tirana means that both sides need to reach out , overcome differences and find solutions , '' Ashton said in a statement issued Thursday . `` Developments today have shown the fragility of the political situation , '' she said . `` I urge all political leaders in Albania and in the city of Tirana to support the finalisation of the election process calmly , constructively and with a focus on the future . '' Albania , a former Stalinist nation , abandoned communism in the 1990s but the path to democracy has been bumpy . Past elections have been criticized for not being free or fair . About 300 international monitors and observers were on hand for this round of voting , a test for whether Albania was ready to join the European Union . Albania submitted its application for membership in April 2009 . The Socialist Party has won 70 % of local elections , winning seats in other Albanian towns and cities . But Tirana remained in contention after a monthlong campaign leading up to the vote was marred by violence , including explosions , stabbings , beatings and threats . Earlier in the year , Rama , a three-term mayor of Tirana , had promoted protests alleging government corruption and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Sal Berisha . Four people were killed in the protests , for which the opposition held Basha culpable . The recent clashes and back-and-forth allegations stem from a longstanding political stalemate following a disputed June 2009 election , one that international diplomats are pushing hard for Albanian leaders to resolve peacefully . The country 's supreme court , however , determined that those elections -- which returned Berisha to power -- were valid , and the ballots were burned by the Central Election Commission . Since then , tension has mounted between the government and its political rivals . Journalist Auron Tare contributed to this report .
Clashes erupt at the central election panel , which is tabulating votes . The Socialist Party mayor holds a 10-vote lead . But a final count could tip the vote in favor of the government candidate . Political tension has run high in Albania since a 2009 disputed election .