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Presidential Election

Parliament finally held a first ballot for a new President, though since earlier votes had been postponed this was actually the third round of voting. Unfortunately, in the absence of an agreed candidate the choice was between the DP nomination Bamir Topi and Fatos Nano. Topi got 75 votes, Nano got 3. The opposition refused to take part in the vote.

There are two more rounds of voting possible between now and 24 July when the term of office of the current President Alfred Moisiu ends. After that, there will have to be a general election - a pointless distraction, bound to be bitter and divisive, and a nail in the coffin of Albania's EU and NATO aspirations.

Yet it seems that the opposition can't wait. "The Socialist Party has switched on the engines for early elections," said Rama, according to the IHT.

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Anonymous said…
"a nail in the coffin of Albania's EU and NATO aspirations".
-----------------------------------

I thing this sentence is a bit ash...It will not be the end of Albania elf new election are held. In contrary it my be a solution to this pointless government.
The guys there are meant to govern that country do not have a clue.
And don't get me started on our prime minister. A complete lunatic and an incompetent.
11:08 pm
olli said…
If an election would produce new people and new thinking I would agree with you. But what are the chances of that happening? Where are the new ideas? Who are the new leaders?

Both sets of parties are involved in creating this mess. Neither seems to have any desire to resolve it.

Nor have any of the issues from the last local elections been resolved.

OK - so NATO's rules are slacker than those of the EU and Albania might still get in soon.

But given that every EU representative has been telling the Albanian government that early elections are not a good thing, there will be consequences in relation to the EU if that happens.
10:14 am
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