Aleksandër Meksi

Aleksandër Gabriel Meksi (born March 8, 1939) was the 27th Prime Minister^[1] of Albania from April 13, 1992 to March 11, 1997. A former archaeologist, he was the first person to be prime minister of Albania after the end of communist rule.^[2]

Meksi was a member of the Democratic Party of Albania and took office at the same time as President Sali Berisha, who also belonged to that party.^[3] Meksi resigned as the country descended into chaos caused by financial problems.^[4] A few months after Meksi's resignation, Berisha also resigned.

Despite his resignation, his government enjoyed one of the longest tenures of any democratically-elected government of Albania. In early May 2009, Meksi became the leader of the Pole of Freedom (Poli i Lirise), a right wing coalition between the Christian Democratic Party, the Movement for National Development and several associations of land owners expropriated by the communist regime and victims of communist prosecution. Poli i Lirise is seen by many as a reliable right wing alternative for the elections of 2009 and is perceived to consistently gain political and electoral support. The return of Meksi in the active politics, although followed by mixed media reactions, seems to be well perceived by the Albanians.

References

1. The Routledge companion to Central and Eastern Europe since 1919 By Adrian Webb
2. The New York Times "Albania's Democratic Party Names Surgeon to Fill President's Post"
3. The New York Times "Albania's Democratic Party Names Surgeon to Fill President's Post"
4. The New York Times "Albania Calls An Emergency As Chaos Rises"

External links

Official Web Page