TIRANA, Feb.22 – President Bujar Nishani signed on Monday the decrees for the appointment of Arben Ahmetaj as Minister of Finance and Milva Ekonomi as Minister of Economy, putting an end to speculations he might refuse to do so after addressing the Constitutional Court for an opinion regarding procedures for the nomination of the new ministers.
Last week, Prime Minister Edi Rama unexpectedly sacked the finance minister Shkelqim Cani and replaced him with economy minister Arben Ahmetaj, whereas deputy health minister Milva Ekonomi filled the position left vacant by Ahmetaj.
As the President signed only the decrees for the dismissal of both ministers, a delay in signing the decrees for the nomination of the new ministers raised suspicions that the president would not decree the nominations, a move which would certainly spark a political crisis in the country.
By taking the matter to the Constitutional Court, Nishani had given signals that he would not sign the decrees for the nomination of the new ministers unless Parliament approved his dismissal decrees first.
However, the President seems to have reconsidered his stance by signing the decrees just a day before the constitutional deadline for the President’s approval of the new ministers was set to expire.
Nishani addressed the Constitutional Court for an interpretation last Saturday motivating it with the fact that he was required to appoint two new ministers at a time when Parliament hasn’t voted on the dismissal decrees of the previous ministers.
The court is yet to express its opinion regarding the issue.
The stalling of the nomination decrees caused tensions between the government and President Nishani.
Ermonela Felaj, the minister for relations with parliament said last week that the majority might demand the dismissal of the President himself in case he would not respect a seven-day constitutional deadline for submitting the decrees to the parliament.
Elected in 2012 from the Democratic Party ranks, the relationship between President Nishani and the current government is far from being ideal with the two institutions frequently being at odds with one another.
