Berisha’s New Cabinet

TIRANA, Sep 9 – Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha on Wednesday made known the 15 names who are to be his new cabinet members following the conservatives’ re-election in June.
After Berisha, 64, named his cabinet, the list is to be sent to the president to be decreed and he will soon present his government’s program to parliament within ten days, after which the parliament will vote.
Berisha’s Democratic Party and allies control 70 seats in the 140-member parliament, while the Socialists and their allies have 66. The leftist LSI, with four seats, has agreed to join Berisha’s coalition.
“I have tried to make the best selection,” said Berisha. “I am convinced this government of the European integration will give its contribution for a European Albania ion line with our pledge.”
Berisha named Meta as his deputy and also foreign minister. The LSI leader has covered many posts in post-communist Albania. He has been prime minister and also deputy premier, foreign minister and also head of the parliament’s integration commission. In his political career Meta started as one of the students of December 1990 that topped the communist regime to continue as head of the young Socialists. His frictions with former Socialist leader Fatos Nano urged him to create his LSI party.
LSI will also keep the posts of the economy, energy and trade ministry with Dritan Prifti. Prifti is well-known for his term managing the Albanian Electro-Energy Corporation to continue with his political career at the Socialists and then with the LSI.
The LSI will also have health ministry with Petrit Vasili who has been before vice minister of health.
The right-wing Republican leader Fatmir Mediu, stripped of his previous parliamentary immunity and on trial for the last year’s blast of an ammunition disposal factory which killed 26 people and injured 300 others, is to keep the post of the environment minister.
Mediu’s nomination in the post has sparked anger in the country with a group of journalists starting a petition asking Berisha to let the judiciary complete Mediu’s judgment before deciding to have him in the cabinet.
Lulzim Basha, former foreign minister, will run the interior ministry. He has also had the post of the transport minister under the previous Berisha cabinet. Before he worked with the international community institutions in neighboring Kosovo. Basha is also linked to the legal case of alleged abuse of public funding with the Durres-Kukes-Morini new road. But Berisha made it clear that Basha’s and Meta’s main priority for the moment was to make Albanians with the visa-free regime next year. That is a main pledge by the premier and his party.
The defense ministry goes to Arben Imami, former Berisha’s counselor. Imami has also been justice minister under the Socialists when he was with the Democratic Alliance Party.
The ministry of European integration will be again run by Majlinda Bregu.
The finance ministry stays with Ridvan Bode who had the post in the last four years too. Berisha boasts of a lot of his achievements in the country’s economy and finance in the last four years.
The transport minister stays with Sokol Olldashi, who has had the interior ministry in the previous term.
The justice ministry will have Bujar Nishani, former interior minister. That could likely be considered one of Berisha’s strange decisions, nominating a graduated army officer to the top judicial post.
That of agriculture goes to Genc Ruli, former minister of economy, much appreciated by Berisha and also often mentioned for the deals on new alternative energy projects in the country.
The education and science ministry goes to Myqerem Tafaj, former Berisha’s counselor.
The labor ministry remains with a representative of the ethnic Greek minority, Spiro Ksera, this time under the Democrats’ political affiliation after leaving the Human Rights Union Party which is now in coalition with the opposition Socialists. Gjirokastra has two Democratic Party lawmakers and both are ministers.
Ferdinand Xhaferri will run the tourism, culture, youth and sports ministry. Xhaferri has been one of the strongest Democratic lawmakers in the previous mandate.
Genc Pollo, former deputy premier, will be a state minister on reforms and relations with parliament.
Pollo’s post was likely one for which Berisha was forced. It is not clear why he invented that post for Pollo. Berisha had repeatedly said that the new cabinet would be the same with 14 posts. He exploited the fact that Meta runs that of the foreign minister and also of his deputy, formerly run by Pollo. So one may say that one person with two posts gets one salary and the other was free. Good, no government expenditure increase but still one asks, why?
The main opposition Socialist Party is boycotting parliament, claiming the June 28 general election was rigged by Berisha’s supporters.
Berisha denies allegations but international monitors have cited irregularities. A final report from observers is expected this month.
Albania, which joined NATO this year and is seeking EU membership, wants to improve its election record, which in the past has been marred by violence and irregularities.