Albania’s ex-leader retakes top post in split party

By LLAZAR SEMINI
Associated Press

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s main opposition center-right Democratic party says controversial former president and prime minister Sali Berisha has been re-elected to lead the party after a nine-year hiatus, pledging to bring it back to power. The 77-year-old won overwhelmingly with 93.45% of the party’s membership vote on Sunday to become the leader again after a nine-year hiatus. However, he was backed by only a minority of the Democrats’ lawmakers. Former leader Lulzim Basha resigned following divisive infighting that began when he fired Berisha from the parliamentary group after the U.S. designated Berisha and his close family members as persona non grata for “corrupt acts that undermined democracy in Albania” during Berisha’s 2005-2013 tenure as prime minister.