Albania president sparks a governing crisis

Published February 20, 2016  Associated Press

TIRANA, Albania –  President Bujar Nishani has asked Albanian Constitutional Court's opinion on the nomination of Cabinet ministers, a move that may spark a governing crisis.

Last week Prime Minister Edi Rama fired the finance minister, nominated former Economy Minister Arben Ahmetaj to take the post and Milva Ekonomi to take Ahmetaj's post.

The issue about confirming the new ministers is, at one level, about procedure and whether Nishani must complete action by Tuesday. But the governing party suspects that Nishani is stalling, an issue which has flared on other appointments.

Nishani was elected in 2012 in Parliament by the then-governing center-right Democratic Party, now in opposition. He has been a headache to Rama's left-wing governing coalition by delaying nominations of army generals, diplomats and top judges.

Ermonela Felaj, the Cabinet minister in charge of relations with Parliament, has said the governing coalition may seek Nishani's ouster unless the changes are confirmed by Tuesday. She says that is required by the constitution.