Albania fails to elect president

The Albanian parliament failed to elect a new president yesterday (19 April) after Prime Minister Edi Rama’s governing Socialists decided not to offer a candidate in the first round of voting.

“We did not offer any candidate in order to show our will (to have) dialogue with the opposition on a new president so as to have the consensus of all political forces of Albania,” parliamentary speaker Ilir Meta told the assembly.

The Albanian opposition has been boycotting parliament since mid-February calling for a transitional government to prepare free and fair elections.