Albania's prime minister Edi Rama has secured an unprecedented fourth term in power as his Socialist Party sailed to victory in Sunday's parliamentary election, a near complete vote count showed on Tuesday.

The Central Election Commission, the electoral executive, has said that by law the final results come out 48 hours after the vote ends.

Preliminary results in Albania’s parliamentary election show the ruling Socialist Party leading, with voters supporting the country’s uphill effort to join the European Union and Prime Minister Edi Rama’s bid for a fourth term.