Albania opposition demands deputy PM's resignation

Jan 12, 2011

By The Associated Press

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania's main opposition party has demanded the resignation of the deputy prime minister over an alleged attempt to influence a tender in return for a kickback.

Private Top Channel TV aired footage it said was of Ilir Meta pressing a cabinet colleague to favor a contractor in a state power station tender and share a kickback.

Meta, who is also an economy minister, denied any wrongdoing over the allegations on Wednesday, and said he was willing to forgo his parliamentary immunity to face a possible investigation.

Meta leads a small leftist party which is a key government partner with the ruling center-right Democrats who won elections in June 2009. The opposition has accused the government of electoral fraud.

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