Tirana, Sep 17 (Bureau) Albanian lawmakers gave the green light on early Friday to the new cabinet led by Prime Minister Edi Rama, leader of the ruling Socialist Party. A total of 77 lawmakers voted in favor of the new cabinet, with 53 against and one abstention. The marathon assembly session for the approval of the new cabinet and the program of the government started at 10 a.m. local time (0800 GMT) Thursday with Rama taking the floor in front of the lawmakers, and continued until the early hours of Friday morning.
The lawmakers gave their approval for the political program of the government and the composition of the Council of Ministers. On Thursday, Rama presented the political program of his cabinet for the next four years. One of the program’s main pillars, where the mandate of the socialists will be supported, is the economic recovery, the most urgent challenge faced by the country in the wake of the devastating earthquake in 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic. The government promises to complete the construction of apartments and buildings by spring 2022 to house all residents who lost their homes in the earthquake. As for the pandemic, vaccination doses are guaranteed for the entire population aged 16 and above by February 2022.
The new government also pledges to, during its third mandate, increase the average salaries for the public administration staff, teachers, doctors and nurses. On April 25, the left-wing Socialist Party won a third consecutive mandate to rule by getting 74 of the parliament’s 140 seats, while the main opposition center-right Democratic Party secured 59 seats. The new parliament members were sworn in on September 10 and Albanian President Ilir Meta decreed new ministers of the government on Tuesday evening. The new cabinet comprises 17 members, of which 12 are women.