Albania fails to elect President for the third time

Albania’s parties failed to elect a president in the third round of voting by MPs for the presidency.

The main opposition Socialists blamed Prime Minister Sali Berisha and his centre-right Democrats for the failure of talks on a candidate who would also receive the blessing of the opposition parties.

“This is not our failure, this not the failure of this parliament but of the head of the ruling majority,” the head of the Socialist parliamentary group, Gramoz Ruci, said.

The third round took place without a single candidate being submitted to an actual vote on the floor of the assembly.