State of emergency lifted. Berisha, a citizen with an escort, in the office of the DP chairman: “Mejdani has a murky career” Page 3

By Gavrosh Levonja Yesterday, when late in the evening Vice President Mejdani was to give the mandate to form the new government to the leader of his party, Fatos Nano, Albanians would understand that the great reshuffling of power in Albania had taken place. In just a few hours, Albania would have new names in the presidency, Parliament and government. After that, it seemed the conditions had been created for the names of the new leadership below the top of the new pyramid to become known hour by hour. After the situation was unblocked by former president Sali Berisha’s decree calling the new Parliament into session, everything began moving at dizzying speed. The new political majority seems fully aware of the time lost as a result of Berisha’s obstructionist manoeuvres. For particular purposes, or because he was unable to break out of his own mould, he used every means to prolong as much as possible the agony of his time in power. Unlike the first day of the new Parliament’s proceedings, when only the committee for verifying mandates was elected, the second day was extremely intensive and sufficient to institutionalize the transfer of power from the DP to the former opposition. During yesterday’s twenty-four-hour period, the MPs’ mandates were verified; the resignation of former president Sali Berisha was accepted; the new parliamentary leadership and parliamentary committees were elected; the new president, Mr Rexhep Mejdani, was elected and sworn in; and the state of emergency, which had kept the country in its grip for more than four months, was lifted. After this, Mr Mejdani, leaving Parliament as the country’s number one, went to his new office in the presidential building in the car bearing license plate RSH002, which until two days earlier had belonged to Berisha. There was also a brief ceremony during which the two politicians’ motorcades greeted one another. Before he had even settled into his new “home,” the new President of the Republic received the outgoing prime minister, Bashkim Fino, who submitted his resignation. Immediately afterward, the next visitor to the presidency was the PS leader, Fatos Nano, to whom President Mejdani gave the mandate to form the new government. Thus, yesterday alone saw the change at the head of the main institutions of power: Parliament, the presidency and the government. Considering that the cabinet Nano will lead is ready down to the details, the other steps involved in transferring power to the left-wing allies are expected to proceed quickly as well. In this way, Albanians are expected to feel the breath of the new government within a few hours. Its longevity depends entirely on introducing concepts of governance different from Berisha’s. But if the new rulers make similar mistakes, even on a smaller scale, their fall will be even faster than that of the man who left.

Prime Minister Nano and his deputy Fino congratulate Mejdani moments after his election as President. Photo: GENT SHKULLAKU

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