Bujar Nishani

Bujar Nishani
6th President of Albania
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 July 2012
Prime Minister	Sali Berisha Edi Rama
Preceded by	Bamir Topi
Minister of the Interior
In office 25 April 2011 – 12 June 2012
Prime Minister	Sali Berisha
Preceded by	Lulzim Basha
Succeeded by	Flamur Noka
In office 20 March 2007 – 17 September 2009
Prime Minister	Sali Berisha
Preceded by	Gjergj Lezhja (Acting)
Succeeded by	Lulzim Basha
Minister of Justice
In office 17 September 2009 – 25 April 2011
Prime Minister	Sali Berisha
Preceded by	Enkelejd Alibeaj
Succeeded by	Eduard Halimi
Personal details
Born	29 September 1966 Durrës, Albania
Political party	Democratic Party, Independent (2012-)
Spouse(s)	Odeta Kosova
Children	Ersi Fiona
Alma mater	Skanderbeg Military University University of Tirana
Religion	Muslim
Website	Official website

Bujar Faik Nishani (born 29 September 1966; Albanian pronunciation: [buˌjaɹ niˈʃani]) is an Albanian politician, the sixth and current President of Albania since July 2012. At the time of his election, Nishani was a member of the Democratic Party of Albania, an MP, and the Minister of Interior. Constitutionally he had to resign all three posts due to his election as president. The Albanian Parliament elected Nishani as president with a simple majority of 73 votes out of 140, without consensus from the opposition.

Personal life and education

Bujar Nishani was born in Durrës, Albania on 29 September 1966. In 1988, he graduated from the Military Academy "Skanderbej". In 1996, he followed his master studies in San Antonio, Texas and California. In 2004, he graduated at the Law Faculty of University of Tirana. He completed his master in European studies.^[1]

Politics

Bujar Nishani joined the Democratic Party of Albania in 1991, after the fall of communism. He worked as chief of foreign relations in the Ministry of Defense and then as head of the office of NATO relations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1996, he was appointed as Minister of Defense.^[1]

After the Democratic Party lost the 1997 parliamentary election, he lost his office and became chairman of the NGO for Euro-Atlantic Army. In 2001 he was elected general secretary of the DP's branch in Tirana and in 2004 member of the Tirana city council.^[1]

He won the 2005 election in the 34th electoral zone in the capital against the Minister of Police and Security, Igli Toska. After leading the National Security Parliamentary Commission he was nominated as Minister of the Interior by Prime Minister Sali Berisha, and in September 2009, after a second electoral victory he was nominated as Minister of Justice.^[1] In 2011 he replaced Lulzim Basha as Minister of the Interior.^[2]

On 12 June 2012, after winning the presidential election, Nishani resigned as Minister of Interior.^[3]

Personal life

Nishani is married to Odeta Nishani and has 2 children. He was born into a secular Bektashi Muslim family.

Awards and honors

• 2013 -  Albania : Honorary Citizen of Libohova
• 2014 -  Italy : Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic^[4][5]

References

1. Official biography
2. (Italian) Agenzia Nova, 20 April 2011
3. Takim përshëndetës me stafin e Ministrisë së Brendshme i Z. Bujar Nishani pas zgjedhjes në postin e Presidentit të Republikës, Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Albania, 12 June 2012 (in Albanian)
4. Sito web del Quirinale: dettaglio decorato.
5. Italia-Albania, Napolitano giunto a Tirana per visita di Stato

External links

• MP page at the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly