Thursday, October 29, 2009

Albania's Police Chief Replaced

Ahmet PrenciAlbania's Interior Ministry announced in a Wednesday statement that the general director of police, Ahmet Prenci, had resigned his post and would be replaced by his deputy, Hysni Burgaj.

Officially, Interior Minister Lulzim Basha accepted Prenci's resignation for health reasons.
“During this period Albania's state police achieved [good] results in the fight against crime; it built and strengthened the relationship with international partners,” said Basha in a statement praising Prenci's work.

Prenci took the reins of Albania's state police three years ago. In the intervening years, he achieved a series of successes in the fight against organised crime. However, he will be best remembered for the positive role that the police played in the 2007 local elections and in the June 28, 2009, parliamentary poll.

Traditionally, police in Albania had been used by politicians to deform the electoral process, and the force's successful management of the last two electoral processes elicited praise from international institutions.

Basha was officially presented by Burgaj in a ceremony on Thursday. Prior to serving as deputy director of state police he was the head of police in the districts of Kukes and Gjirokastra.

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