Opposition asks for Berisha’s resignation

TIRANA, Oct 20 – Following the recent calls from Washington and Brussels that the government should not interfere in the judiciary’s independent work, the main opposition Socialist party openly called for the resignation of Prime Minister Sali Berisha.
That was the first open call from the Socialists who had, till then, said they would leave the decision in the voters’ hands during next year’s general elections.
Other smaller opposition political parties, especially the Socialist Movement for Integration of Ilir Meta, had long said they should start political and legal actions to remove Berisha from the post.
Socialist leader Edi Rama said that Berisha had, also, turned the government into a serious problem for the international community.
Berisha said, last week, that the government would call on international investigators to check the alleged links businessman Fazlic had with his family. He also said that a parliamentary investigative committee would also check the work of prosecutors.
Both moves were considered as baseless by U.S. Ambassador John Withers and also from Brussels.
Rama said that Berisha was making these moves as a desperate person frightened by his abuse of post.
“The best service Sali Berisha would do, not only to his country but also to the Democratic Party during such a grave situation Albania has re-entered due to his old politics and new shameful acts by the premier, would be to resign before Albanians take him off the plebiscitary vote next year,” said Rama.
In a response to such a call, Democratic Party Parliamentary Speaker Jozefina Topalli asked Rama to resign, reminding him his party had blamed the government for the death of businessman Kosta Trebicka, the whistle-blower of the ammunition scandal.