President starts discussions on new prosecutor general

TIRANA, Nov. 21 – The main issue of the day remains the new prosecutor general. The country’s president, Bujar Nishani convened all parliamentary parties, their representatives to talk on the principles on what the new name should be. But immediately there came the political friction between the two rival groupings.
The president and the governing Democratic party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha say that the prosecutor general’s term is over this week and she (Ina Rama, whom they dislike) should leave the post to a new name.
The opposition Socialist Party of Edi Rama thinks otherwise. The prosecutor general’s mandate is over in May, as the constitutional amendment made clear with a fixed term.
There comes the international community which is always present and without which it seems Albania is unable to resolve anything. But it seems that at this moment there is a somewhat different stance. While some months ago OSCE Ambassador Eugen Wollfarth was clear that prosecutor’s mandate, term is over next spring, he has now become diplomatic and says that is up to Albanians (which of course, it is) and finding a proper personality is more important that the timing.
“More important than the date is the quality of the candidates. It is very useful to use these days, these weeks, the time, to find good candidates and I think it is a wise step to start the talks,” he responded to the journalists this week.
More important is to find good candidates through dialogue, he said. The General Prosecutor is a key function for every democratic functioning state. It needs a lot of experience, a lot of talent and also a highest possible degree of independence.