TIRANA, Sept. 13 – Albania’s new government led by Prime Minister Edi Rama received Wednesday morning formal approval in parliament, getting 78 votes in favor and 51 against its program.
The vote, which was a mere formality after Rama’s Socialist Party won a majority in this summer’s parliamentary elections, was held at the end of a marathon session that lasted more than 21 hours as lawmakers took turns to express their views on the government program.
Among major promises in the official program, Rama said there would be average economic growth of 4.5 percent, which is expected to reach 5.5 to 6 percent at the end of the four-year mandate. He also said Public-Private Partnerships would continue and 220,000 new jobs would go on the books as the government continues its fight against economic informality.
Lulzim Basha, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party said the Government Program has no content, no analysis and no arguments, calling it “pure propaganda.”
“It is an expression of the total emptiness of the papers you brought instead of the program, a total lack of program that characterized not only the campaign, but also after it. You chose to use the last ten minutes in front of this Parliament to speak diversions about the oppositions, and other empty words,” Basha said.
The Socialist Movement for Integration, a former ally of Rama, had even harsher criticism in store. Leader Monika Kryemadhi, called the program presentation “an arrogant speech, a piece of bad writing with numerous mistakes that show deep ignorance.”
Both the DP and the SMI have promised a strong opposition to Rama’s government.
The new government took the oath of office late Wednesday at ceremony at the President’ Office, and went on to have its first meeting immediately afterwards.
“I call on the government to work toward the shared aspiration of all Albanians to open EU membership negotiations as soon as possible,” President Ilir Meta said at the swearing in ceremony.
