Interior Minister of Albania Fatmir Xhafaj has resigned. The news was announced by the Prime Minister Edi Rama, through posting on twitter.
The head of government thanked Xhafaj for his valuable contribution, Rama writes on Twitter."Now the speed must be increased and more meaningful results have to be achieved."
"I accepted the resignation of Minister Xhafaj, whom I thank for the valuable contribution. General Sander Lleshi will bring a new positive energy to the head of Interior Affairs. The track is laid. Speed must now be increased and more meaningful results must be achieved," Rama writes.
Fatmir Xhafaj was appointed to the post of Interior Minister in March 2017, following the dismissal of Saimir Tahiri, accused by the opposition for drug-trafficking, co-operation with the Habilaj group. In May 2017, after the 17 May Rama-Basha agreement, in place of Xhafaj was appointed as technical minister Dritan Demiraj, but after the victory of parliamentary elections by SP, Xhafaj returned to the cabinet "Rama 2".
Xhafaj is the man who led the reform in justice, maximally supported by the internationals that promote this reform.
New Minister of Internal Affairs qualified in Germany
The General Sander Lleshi, who will now be the new Interior Minister in Albania, has completed high military qualifications in Germany. He has been Military Attaché at the Albanian Embassy in Berlin, from 2003-2006. Earlier, he completed the advanced course of German at the Federal Institute of Languages (Bundessprachenamt), the General Staff Course and the European Security Course at the Academy of Management in Hamburg. Gen Lleshi has also conducted the Senior Executive Seminar at the Center for European Security Studies George C. Marshall, in Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany.
Xhafaj, one of the architects of the Reform in Justice. Why did he resign?
Fatmir Xhafa's resignation from the post of Minister of Interior comes unexpectedly. Just a week ago, the State Police, the Interior Ministry structure held successfully the first Mega Operation in Albania for its size and results: in 12 cities of Albania, at the same time, the members of the four main criminal groups were arrested for drug trafficking, cooperating among them as a criminal organization.
The heroin processing laboratory was destroyed in Has, in the Kukes district. Two former Socialist MPs, Arben Ndoka and Arben Çako were arrested for co-operating with organized crime on drug trafficking. Why did Fatmir Xhafaj give up after the last success? This is still unknown. Former Prime Minister Xhafaj himself in a press release on Saturday (27 October) did not give any cause for his resignation.