Socialist Party MP

Albania's parliament voted on Friday to accept the Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organised Crime's request to be able to arrest former Deputy Prime Minister, Arben Ahmetaj.

The SPAK had requested the arrest and a personal search warrant and a house search in connection with charges on corruption and money laundering.

Prosecutors in Bosnia and Herzegovina's Republika Srpska entity are investigating Bosnian Serb MP Jelena Doric following a complaint over her appointment as acting director of the entity's roads authority in apparent violation of a law concerning conflict of interest.

The US Ambassador to Tirana, Yuri Kim, has put fresh pressure on Albanian parties to vet their lists of candidates submitted to the Central Election Commission, CEC, ahead of the April 25 elections, suggesting some should be disqualified.

Socialist Party MP Damian Gjiknuri speaking to journalists after failure to agree on electoral reform on May 31 2020. Photo: LSA

Representatives of the opposition Petrit Vasili (left) and Oerd Bylykbashi announcing the agreement on Tuesday. Photo: Gent Shkullaku/LSA.

The move has been applauded by the country's US and European partners, and offers a potential boost to the country's chances to open membership negotiations with European Union.

With a midnight deadline approaching, 57 people - some charged and others already convicted - had asked for amnesty from the Skopje Criminal Court, the court's chief judge, Ivan Dzolev, told reporters.

Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama confirmed the resignation of Albanian Interior Minister Fatmir Xhafaj on Saturday, naming his security advisor Aleksander Lleshi, a former General in the Albanian Army, as the new nominee for the post.

Albanian police arrested former Socialist Party MPs Arben Ndoka and Arben Cuko plus several other people in a series of operations against organised crime suspects on Sunday, with Prime Minister Edi Rama stating that no one is above the law.

A total of 75 MPs in the Albanian parliament on Wednesday voted against the prosecution's request to arrest former Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri, arguing there is not enough evidence, with 60 voting in favour.

Ilir Meta, leader of Albania's junior ruling party, the Socialist Movement for Integration, LSI, was voted in as President of Albania on Friday amid an opposition boycott.

Meta received 87 votes in favour and two against in the 140-seat assembly, becoming the seventh President of Albania since the Stalinist Communist regime collapsed in 1990.