Opposition calls for Berisha to resign

TIRANA, Sept. 21 ͠Albanian opposition Socialists asked Prime Minister Sali Berisha of the Democratic Party to resign because of his personal interference in the case of the suspension of the flight company Albatros.
Berisha went to the parliament to respond to the requests of the opposition MPs needing his explanation on the Albatros case. Socialists had accused Berisha that he was exploiting his executive powers to suspend the flight company in a form of pressure against the country’s President Alfred Moisiu (uncle of the two Albatros owners) to sign the decree on firing Prosecutor General Theodhori Sollaku as the ruling Democratic Party majority had asked since July.
Berisha strongly denied to have exerted pressure saying that he did not interfere in the powers, competencies of the president. At the same speech he also reminded Socialists that they were supporting Sollaku, who he said would remain for a little time in power still, only to keep closed their files involving them with the organized crime. He said they should leave the prosecutor office to deal with the case. Berisha considered the Albatros case a purely legal one that should be left in the hands of the judiciary to deal with. The premier also denied that any member of his close family was either shareholder or employee at the rival flight company Belleair as he was accused for that.
Petro Koci of the Socialists harshly accused Berisha, Transport Minister Lulzim Basha and aviation department head Gazmend Dibra of making a dirty game for political purposes and for taking (Berisha) all the powers under his personal control. Naturally not satisfied with Berisha’s responses, Koci came out and asked for his resignation and for taking Basha and Dibra to the judiciary hands. Koci said that Dibra kept four posts at the ministry because of being a good shill in Berisha’s service.
A Christian Democratic MP, Nikolle Lesi, also supported his idea that Dibra should be moved from the post.