President in a ‘fight’ with the government

TIRANA, Feb. 8 – The Albanian peacekeeping mission troops were back to Tirana after serving six months in Kandahar, Afghanistan. That was one of the toughest jobs for the army as it was involved in direct fighting missions in Afghanistan.
But back to the country they had to fight, this time with themselves.
The Defense Ministry had planned, as usual, a welcoming ceremony at the Tirana International Airport Mother Teresa. But it seemed that the ‘fight’ between the president, who is the top army commander according to the constitution, and prime Minister spoiled everything.
The ceremony was held at the government building only with the presence of Prime Minister Sali Berisha.
Bamir Topi, formerly a deputy leader of Berisha’s Democratic Party and elect dint he post from that political grouping, did not take part at the ceremony there. And he could hardly do that.
Berisha has almost directly accused Topi of being part of the Jan. 21 putsch aligning with the opposition Socialists.
That is a very harsh attack that was followed in the same line with more words from the parliament Speaker Jozefina Topalli and other governing Democrats.
Topi came out publicly Wednesday to respond in a dip0omatic way, telling the people that he could not play a different role at the presidential institution, which, according to the Constitution, guards and protects the right of everyone, be they Democratic or Socialists.
Topi also criticized both sides, the Democrats and Socialists, for the Jan. 21 deadly riot and also called on them to let prosecutors free to work in their investigation.
That will hardly lower the tones of the governing Democrats and Berisha.