Albanian PM Berisha, names new cabinet

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha named his new cabinet on Wednesday shortly after his appointment earlier in the day by President Bamir Topi.

Berisha named Ilir Meta, leader of the Socialist Movement for Integration party, as foreign minister, with whom he formed an indispensable alliance to stay in power.

Berisha's Democratic Party won 70 seats in the 140-seat parliament. It teamed up with Meta's left-wing party, which garnered four seats in the country's June 28 general elections, to form a majority.

Berisha also appointed right-wing Republican leader Fatmir Mediu, a former defense minister, as environment minister.

Mediu had been indicted for breach of duty over a blast that killed 26 and injured 300 people at an ammunition depot last year near the capital city of Tirana.

It was reported that a group of leading Albanian journalists and political commentators had signed an open letter and petitioned against his appointment.

The main opposition Socialist Party, which won 66 seats in the elections, is boycotting the parliament, claiming the Democratic Party rigged the elections and calling for investigations.

Berisha denied all the accusations.