LSI

The Special Prosecution Against Organised Crime and Corruption said on Tuesday that two investigations of President Ilir Meta have begun after former MP Halit Valteri issued two criminal complaints accusing him of abuses related to lobbying contracts with US firms.

Leader of the Democratic Party in opposition speaks to his supporters during a protest in Tirana on 5 March 2019. Photo: Gjergj Erebara/BIRN

Albania's opposition Democratic Party and the Socialist Movement for Integration, LSI, have finalised their preparations for a major protest on Saturday in Tirana, demanding the resignation of the Interior Minister Fatmir Xhafaj, who they accuse of engaging in drug smuggling.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic remains the only head of state in the Balkan region to lead a political party, having not followed the example of his predecessor, Tomislav Nikolic, who quit the Serbian Progressive Party to assume his new office.

Armand Duka, the head of the Soccer Federation of Albania since 2002, easily won a fifth term on Wednesday, after winning 38 votes out of 66 in the Federation's Assembly.

Duka easily defeated Bashkim Fino, former Prime Minister and MP for the ruling Socialist Party, in a battle that raised concerns about political intervention in sport.

Two former directors of the Albanian Road Authority are among 11 people arrested by an Elbasan court order over the procurement of a road that was never properly built.

Dashamir Xhika, former director of the Authority between 2013 and 2017, was arrested and accused of abuse of office.

Albania's two main opposition parties announced on Monday that they intend to bring down Edi Rama's centre-left government through united protests.

Albanian police on Wednesday asked the prosecution to launch criminal proceedings against 10 opposition MPs, including the chair of the Socialist Movement for Integration, LSI, Monika Kryemadhi.

Albania opposition parties have jointly called on the Socialist-led government of Edi Rama to put the longstanding argument over allowing the import of waste to a referendum.

A law on the matter is currently pending, after the President refused to sign it a year ago.

The fallout from the June 25 election in Albania - which Edi Rama's Socialists won - continues to reverberate, as the head of the third-placed party, the Socialist Movement for Integration, LSI, Petrit Vasil, resigned on Thursday, proposing Monika Kryemadhi as his successor.