Albania Gets New President

(AP) TIRANA, Albania Wed July 24 Alfred Moisiu was sworn in as Albania's president Wednesday, and the former defense minister pledged to become a symbol of unity for all of his countrymen regardless of their political beliefs.

Moisiu was elected last month by a comfortable majority in parliament, in a rare act of political consensus between the governing Socialist Party and the opposition party of Sali Berisha, a former president. He replaced Rexhep Meidani who took office in June 1997, after the collapse of shady investment schemes led to fresh general elections.

The mutual endorsement of Moisiu as an independent candidate by Berisha and Socialist Party leader Fatos Nano was meant to end a period of political bickering which has left lawmakers largely ineffective in implementing economic and political reforms.

In his address to the parliament, Moisiu also addressed crucial issues like the importance of fighting corruption, organized crime and illegal trafficking. As a first task, Moisiu is expected to ask the governing party to create a new government to replace the Cabinet of Prime Minister Pandeli Majko. Majko has declared he will resign shortly after the inauguration ceremony, following a decision by the leadership of his Socialist Party, which last week voted to appoint party leader Fatos Nano as the new prime minister. Nano, who has already served as head of a previous government, would be the third prime minister since the Socialists took over after winning elections in June 2001.

Political bickering in the party led to the resignation of former Prime Minister Ilir Meta early this year. Moisiu, a World War II veteran, was defense minister in 1991-1992 in a transition government formed after the fall of communism. He also served as deputy defense minister from 1994 to 1997. A widower, Moisiu has four children.

By MERITA DHIMGJOKA, Associated Press Writer