Albania has a new leader. The chief of staff of the army, Bajram Begaj, was elected president of this Balkan country, member of NATO, on Saturday by a vote in Parliament. He succeeds, for a five-year term, Ilir Meta, a fierce critic of the government who is due to leave office on July 24.
In a country where the government holds most of the power, this is a largely ceremonial position, but the president plays an important role in the judicial system. He appoints three of the nine members of the Constitutional Court. He is also the supreme commander of the armed forces.
A candidate proposed by the socialist majority
General Begaj, 55, was nominated by Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Majority. He was elected in the fourth round of the ballot, requiring an absolute majority, after the failure, for lack of candidates, of the three previous rounds requiring a qualified majority of 84 out of 140 elected. His candidacy was finally approved by the favorable vote of 78 elected officials.
After graduating from medical school in 1989, Bajram Begaj became an active duty officer in 1998 and held various command positions in the Albanian army. He had been head of the armed forces since July 2020. For procedural reasons, he resigned from his military duties just before the vote in Parliament.
Source: 20minutes
I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.
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