Presidential race overshadows government reshuffle

TIRANA, March 8 – The political race of the political groupings about the new president seemed to have overshadowed the much-awaited government reshuffle after the February 18 local elections. Prime Minister Sali Berisha of the Democratic party-led governing coalition on Monday convened the party’s parliamentarians to announce that his deputy at the party’s post, Bamir Topi, also head of the parliamentary group, was the candidate for the next country’s president. Immediately the opposition reacted against it. Ben Blushi of the Socialists said ironically they could assist Topi to become the next leader of the Democratic Party but it was out of discussion he would become the next president. Blushi was also supported from the Socialist Movement for Integration of Ilir Meta and the Social Democrats of Skender Gjinushi. Gazmend Oketa, spokesman of the Democratic Party, came out Wednesday to say that Topi was officially the party’s candidate for the president’s post. That has allegedly sparked dissatisfaction among the members of the governing coalition. This time it is the Human Rights Union party that through Leonard Solis, a former health minister, said they did not support Topi for the post and appealed to the Socialists (with whom they have been in coalition before) not to beat arout the bush but to openly declare their former leader Fatos Nano as their candidate. Nano in fact has been opposed from the Socialists themselves and their allies. It was also hinted that former Socialist premier Bashkim Fino could be a candidate. Fino however excluded himself from the race.
Topi himself refused to acknowledge or deny if he had accepted the post. He said it is too early to discuss on the issue.
All that served well to make people and politicians forget during this week the underground or behind-the-scene negotiations that Berisha is holding with other leaders at his party and the allies for a government reshuffle. It is much expected that Interior minister will become Astrit Patozi, a parliamentarian and a journalist, while Berisha’s deputy Ilir Rusmajli will move to the post of the justice minister. Majlinda Bregu, spokesman during the last electoral campaign, may become the Integration Minister, according to political sources. What is generally and formally known is that Nard Ndoka of the Christian Democrats will become the next health minister to replace Maksim Cikuli.
Analysts have widely commented in the media that the early conjectures and talks about the next president are the Berisha’s strategy to disperse attention away from the procrastination in improvements in the administration. The Prime Minister’s much advocated reforms have been left behind because the proper administrative structures are in disarray. The undetermined new ministers and the lingering electoral contestations have been marginalized due to this new priority of the debate. Albania has to choose a consensual president within the June-July period of this year when actual president Alfred Moisiu’s mandate is over. Moisiu’s name has not been excluded form the list for a potential second run.