Cabinet Changes After A Heated Parliament Debate
Tirana Times
TIRANA, Jan. 17 – The Albanian parliament on Monday voted two new ministers while the opposition Socialist Party called for anti-government protests accusing it of corruption.
The session of the 140-seat parliament was interrupted six times after opposition lawmakers and Prime Minister Sali Berisha called names on each other.
Presidential decrees were voted in parliament where Berisha’s governing coalition has the necessary numbers to pass them.
After four and a half hours it voted with 73 votes in favor of the changes. The opposition did not take part at the voting though the lawmakers were standing in front of the cabinet table at the hall.
The changes were for Foreign Minister Edmond Haxhinasto who also becomes deputy premier and Nasip Naco as minister of economy, trade and energy.
The two posts were previously kept by Ilir Meta, leader of a small leftist party that is a key partner of the ruling center-right Democrats, who last week resigned over claims he tried to influence a state tender in return for a kickback.
The Socialists will hold an anti-government rally in the capital, Tirana, Friday.
Meta resigned last Friday (January 14th) after a local television channel broadcast video footage that purportedly showed him trying to influence a government tender.
Excerpts from Prifti’s videotape show Meta, a former prime minister, entering Prifti’s office at the economy ministry in March, and starting to give him orders on granting favors.
The video shows Meta asking Prifti to cancel a tender by state-owned Albpetrol to help another company take part, and to give a concession for a hydro-electric plant to another company despite an ongoing court review.
“This is my personal choice and it is irrevocable. I cannot present myself as deputy prime minister or minister at the prosecution,” Meta said, announcing the decision.
Meta became economy minister last September, replacing Dritan Prifti, who resigned amid corruption allegations. In the controversial video, broadcast by Top Channel on Tuesday, he appeared to be shown pressing Prifti to grant a public tender for a hydropower plant to one of his friends following a proposal from Meta’s LSI, Berisha nominated two new people to replace him.
Meta has denied the allegations by former economy minister Dritan Prifti. But he said he was stepping down to help a judicial investigation, because as a government minister he would have enjoyed immunity from prosecution. He has come out daily to turn down the chargers. He has also voluntarily resigned from the immunity as a lawmaker. Meta gave up his immunity from prosecution to allow an investigation of allegations of corruption.
Berisha has praised Meta’s decision to cooperate with the investigation.
The scandal broke after a private TV station aired a video allegedly showing Meta asking Prifti to influence the awarding of a contract for building a power station. Prifti confirmed the claims and has testified on the alleged incident to Tirana prosecutors.
Meta says the footage was fabricated by the country’s main opposition party.
In all this political fight Albanians are hearing such harsh and nasty words that the politicians are using against each other.
Meta’s party is the minority coalition partner in Prime Minister Sali Berisha’s government and is important for the country’s political stability. Berisha said the two parties would continue to cooperate after Meta’s resignation.
The Socialists are demanding a change in government and say they will mount a new round of demonstrations to push for that goal, starting with this Friday’s one in capital Tirana.
Corruption has bedeviled Albania’s efforts to take the first steps toward membership of the European Union.
Brussels is trying to stay impartial in Albania’s political fight but the spokeswoman of Enlargement Commissioner, Natasa Buttler, has made it clear that fighting corruption is a key political issue for any country looking to become a candidate for the bloc and has urged the judiciary to fairly investigate the case.
Brussels also reprimanded Albanian prosecutor’s office for asking help from the FBI to check the genuinity of the tape saying that Tirana has the required capacities, something that reminds them of the funding they have invested in this tiny Balkan country to help raise capacities.
Albania will hold local elections on May 8, almost two years after a national election the opposition Socialists said was fraudulently conducted.
