TIRANA, July 7 – Albania’s military representative to NATO, Brig. Gen. Arjan Zaimi, emerged as a consensus candidate to be the country’s next president.
Parliament is set to meet Sunday to vote for Albania’s next president after major political parties, including the governing Democratic Party-led coalition of Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the Socialist Party-led coalition of Tirana Mayor Edi Rama, appeared to agree on the senior military official.
“We found consensus for Mr. Arjan Zaimi as a candidate,” said Rama at a news conference.
Zaimi, 50, graduated from the military school in Tirana. Before going to Brussels three years ago, Zaimi graduated from a post-university program in the United States. He has also been deputy army chief of staff.
A few hours after accepting Zaimi’s nomination, the governing Democrats changed their minds.
“We noted the inability of the round-table to agree on a consensual president, consensual joint reforms always to serve the country’s integration efforts,” said Fatos Beja, deputy leader of the party, adding they would nominate their own candidate.
It seemed that both sides did not reach agreement on setting a fixed term for the prosecutor-general’s post that was part of the deal.
Since he came to power in September 2005, Berisha has wanted to fire Prosecutor-General Theodhori Sollaku, saying he had violated the constitution. But following a parliamentary investigation President Alfred Moisiu refused the Democrats’ demand.
“All public officials should be open to attack if they violate the law,” said Beja, though not openly saying the deal failed because of Sollaku.
The president is chosen by at least a three-fifths majority in parliament, or 84 of the legislature’s 140 seats. The Democrats have 80 seats, too few to overcome an opposition boycott.
The Socialists had threatened to boycott the presidential election unless they were allowed to present their own candidate.
