TIRANA, July 9 – Former Socialist party leader and Prime Minister, Fatos Nano, nominated himself as a candidate to run for the post of president on Sunday.
Nano had always said he would run for the post, a move that may create further confusion in the dispute, now in its third week, to take the country to early elections.
Nano called on Bamir Topi to withdraw and asked Berisha to put an end to the crisis and not take the country to early elections.
The Socialists had threatened to boycott the presidential election unless they were allowed to present their own candidate.
But many Socialists had not included Nano as their top candidate when they presented the list last week.
Nano seems to have fought hard at the parliamentary group but could not convince the party to support his candidacy.
Further, if he had convinced his own party, he would have had to convince the three smaller parties in the coalition, the Socialist Movement for Integration, Social Democrats and Social Democracy, who had made it clear they would not support him.
Only the Democratic Alliance of Neritan Ceka would support him.
Nano also had the support of the Human Rights Union Party and also their ‘independent’ candidate Spiro Peci.
But Nano’s support would still not be enough to secure the 84 votes needed to become president.
