Topalli re-elected Albania’s parliament speaker

TIRANA, Sep 8 – Albania’s new parliament on Tuesday re-elected Jozefina Topalli to the post of speaker while the Socialist opposition boycotted the new parliament, claiming conservative Prime Minister Sali Berisha rigged his victory in June 28 poll.
Topalli, 45, the Democrats’ deputy leader on Tuesday was supported 74-1. The Socialists were not present.
Parliament also elected two speaker’s deputies, one from the small leftist LSI party and the other from the opposition Socialists.
The parliament also verified the legislators’ mandate. For the opposition lawmakers the process is to be held the moment they are present at the session.
Following election of the top parliament officials the re-elected Democratic Party is expected to send the Albanian president a proposal officially nominating Berisha as prime minister.
Berisha is expected to announce his new 14-member cabinet this week, rewarding LSI Ilir Meta with a nomination to become deputy prime minister and foreign minister, and also handing out the Economy and Health Ministries to Meta’s party.
The right-wing Republican leader Fatmir Mediu, currently on trial for an ammunition disposal factory blast that killed 26 people and injured 300 and former defense minister, is to become environment minister.
Berisha’s Democratic Party and allies control 70 seats in the 140-member parliament, while the Socialists and their supporters have 66 seats. The leftist LSI, with the four remaining seats, has agreed to join a coalition with Berisha’s Democrats.
Democrats deny the Socialists’ election fraud allegations and their request for investigation of the process and new legislation required for the process.
On Tuesday Socialists’ leader Edi Rama said they would undertake a political action to achieve the vote transparency, without specifying whether that meant street protests or any other move.
Albania, which joined NATO this year and is seeking European Union membership, is keen to improve its election record, which in the past has been marred by violence and irregularities.