Albania president: Ready to resign to solve political crisis
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Protesters waving an Albanian flag shout slogans near the government building during a protest in Tirana, Albania on Saturday, March 16, 2019. Albanian opposition supporters clashed with police while trying to storm the parliament building Saturday in a protest against the government which they accuse of being corrupt and linked to organized crime.(AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
The Albanian president says he would be ready to resign from his post if that helped to resolve the country's political crisis.
The Democratic Party-led opposition has resigned from its parliamentary mandates and has been holding protests accusing the leftist Socialist Party government of Prime Minister Edi Rama of being corrupt and linked to organized crime, and asking for an early election.
President Ilir Meta, ex-leader of a small leftist party now in opposition, on Wednesday said that after failing to mediate a solution he was ready to resign if he were "assured the country has a political, constitutional and solid solution."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Socialists say the opposition is not helping Albania's progress toward European Union membership. Brussels will decide in June whether to launch full membership negotiations with Albania.