TIRANA, July 25 – Socialist Party leader Edi Rama on Wednesday harshly, and for the first time publicly, attacked his predecessor, Fatos Nano, for cooperating last week with the governing Democratic Party-led coalition of Prime Minister Sali Berisha in electing the new president.
Rama said, however, that new President Bamir Topi should be given time to prove his impartiality and judicial reform will be a real test of his claims of being a president for all Albanians.
Speaking at a top-level meeting of the party leadership that will also elect the new leading bureau and second-man, Rama accused Nano of organizing the defection of six Socialist lawmakers in last Friday’s vote to support Topi’s election.
“As a Socialist I would never like to see an ex-leader boast of his role as producer of the act of selling the six mandates of the opposition voters to save Sali Berisha from the challenge of testing the Albanians’ vote,” said Rama, adding, “While as a chairman I am obliged to say that Fatos Nano cannot be included in the Socialist Party’s new political project.”
Rama’s statement is expected to draw a reaction from Nano who has said he will initiate a new campaign in September to clean the party.
During the meeting, party leaders elected Gramoz Ruci as head of the party’s council and filled membership in other party committees.
