TIRANA, March 4 – Albania’s head of state, President Bujar Nishani, the leftist government of Prime Minister Edi Rama have been caught in a series of disagreements that could blocks several decisions where the president has veto powers.
Nishani was nominated by the main opposition Democratic Party and is a former senior official of the party, though as president he is supposed to be an independent.
This week his office sent a complaint to the Constitutional Court on the parliament’s move to fire Zana Xhuka from the post of the institute that checks and audits the income and properties of the public officials. Last week the court declined the main opposition Democratic Party’s complaint on the issue.
Xhuka had also been nominated in the post by the Democrats, who are complaining that the leftist Socialist-led coalition is focusing on the fight against independent institutions.
Nishani also met with the head of the parliamentary groupings Tuesday to get their opinion for the post of an open judge seat at the Supreme Court.
In another effort for two other posts at the same court the parliament, dominated by the leftist grouping after a landslide parliamentary victory in last year’s elections, turned down two candidates offered by Nishani.
On Tuesday Gramoz Ruci of the Socialists parliamentary grouping, complained that Nishani was not playing according to the democratic rules and was trying to provide a a fake image with such meetings.
Ruci said that the meeting was not productive. He said that e president is nominating in the posts all those persons who are close to the Democrats.
Edi Paloka of the Democrats responded in kind saying that the Socialists want to attack all the independent institutions.
Judiciary is the main focus of criticism from the international community.
The Socialists say that the Democrats of the then-Prime Minister Sali Berisha have turned the judiciary into a big corrupt institution where it is very difficult to find justice.
In a surprise move Tuesday, the president decided to call a meeting of the National Security Council next week due to the increased number of explosives used and of the crimes and has also invited the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, Lulzim Basha, also Tirana mayor, to be part of the meeting.
The decisions raised some eyebrows as protocol says that the council is made up only of the parliament speaker, prime minister, foreign, defense, interior, local power, finance and transport ministers, army chief-of-staff and head of the secret police. The leader of the main opposition party had not been previously invited.
Last week, Nishani held a two-hour meeting with Prime Minister Edi Rama at his office. No information was released about the meeting.
