Albania PM and Opposition to meet this morning after President and EPP appeal, signalling end of deadlock

Tirana, Albania | Tirana Echo – Albania’s opposition leader Lulzim Basha and Prime Minister Edi Rama will meet this morning at 10am at the Presidential palace after an appeal by the country’s President Nishani and European Peoples Party to sit down and find a way out of the political deadlock which has paralysed the country for more than two months.

The announcement comes as Albania’s President Bujar Nishani made an offer for negotiations between majority and opposition and immediately after a video conference between DP’s chairmanship and EPP President Joseph Daul, who urged DP chair Lulzim Basha to find a way back to the electoral process.

Local media are reporting that PM Rama would allegedly be prepared to let 6 of his ministers go while his socialist party would agree to postponing general elections scheduled for June 18. On the other side, the democrats would agree to ministerial replacements while they will let go their request for the resignation of Rama from his premiership.

This would be seen to be in line with what European Parliament mediators David McAllister and Knut Fleckenstein had proposed to both sides during last week’s failed political talks.

In what is seen as a ‘face-saving’ solution for both sides, today’s meeting could end Albania’s two month political deadlock and enable all opposition parties to enter the electoral registration process.

If no agreement is reached, the center-left majority and a handful of smaller parties will go to elections as planned eithout the opposition, which both the EU and US have signalled will be recognized.