Albania: government reshuffle after accord with opposition

Agreement on seven new technical ministries
22 MAY,

(ANSAmed) - TIRANA, MAY 22 - A government reshuffle has been approved in Albania after an agreement with the opposition.

Socialist Premier Edi Rama last night accepted the appointment of seven technicians as ministers, proposed by the center-right opposition led by Luzlim Basha, as part of a political agreement reached between the two leaders two days ago.

Ledina Mandia will become deputy premier. He is a former president of the attorney general's office and current advisor to the presidency of the republic.

Dritan Demiraj, a former commander of Albanian army special units who has taken part in several missions abroad, has been appointed interior minister.

Helga Vukaj, the director general of the Court of Audit, will be finance minister.

''The new ministers will have the task of checking the government's actions during the electoral campaign'', explained Rama.

After three months of protests demanding the creation of a technical government able to guarantee standards for upcoming political elections in June, Rama and Basha worked on an agreement to prevent a long crisis.

Parliament on Monday will meet in a plenary session to vote, along with government changes, changes to the electoral law and criminal code, also in view of a judicial reform deemed by Brussels as a condition to obtain a green light for European union adhesion talks. (ANSAmed)