Berisha says he’s happy with LSI coalition

TIRANA, July 6 – Prime Minister Sali Berisha of the governing Democratic Party said this week that he is happy with the governing coalition with the Socialist Movement for Integration, or LSI, which came to life a year ago after the contested June 28, 2009 elections.
Berisha hailed “the coalition of integration,” as he had called it, saying it has shown the success story of the country that besides being a NTO member has also applied for the European Union candidate status. Tirana also expects to get the visa-free regime from the European Union Schengen member countries likely by the end of the year.
The governing coalition was created after the LSI of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ilir Meta harshly opposed the coalition with the opposition Socialist Party, likely from personal frictions he had with their leader Edi Rama.
Berisha also hailed the economic results achieved from his cabinet turning down the opposition claims of taking the country to deeper poverty. He said Albania was one of the two countries in the continent (Poland being the other one) with a positive economic growth in 2009, and the only country having an increase in public salary and pension payments this year.
The two main political parties have been squabbling since after the general elections last year. The opposition Socialists claim vote count manipulation and want a partial recount, though they have said that does not mean they want the officially change the results.
But the governing Democrats, who narrowly won the polls controlling 75 of the parliament’s 140 seats, together with their allies, say doing a recount would violate the laws and the Constitution.
The political fight has brought the country to a difficult situation with many important reforms needed for the integration into the European Union, asking for three-fifth or 84 votes in parliament, which cannot be secured without the opposition’s presence.