Albanian Parliament Votes To Oust President Ilir Meta - Reports

BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th June, 2021) Albanian parliament overwhelmingly voted on Wednesday that it had no confidence in the president after Ilir Meta accused the ruling Socialist Party of electoral fraud.

The Exit news website said 105 lawmakers in the 140-seat legislature voted to have the president dismissed. The decision needs to be certified by the constitutional court.

This would be the first time in the small Balkan nation's history that the parliament ousts the president.

Meta has more than a year left until the end of his five-year term.

Prime Minister Edi Rama called on the government to vote Meta out, saying he had violated the constitution, after Meta accused the Socialist party leader of putting pressure on voters.

Socialists won elections in April with 49% of the vote, securing a majority that allowed it to govern alone. It has been ruling Albania since 2013 when it beat the Democrats and Meta's center-left Socialist Movement.