TIRANA (Albania), May 31 (SeeNews) – The Albanian parliament decided on Thursday to hold the second round of voting for president on June 4.
The lawmakers failed to elect a new president of the country on Wednesday due to lack of consensus between the ruling majority and the opposition.
Under Albania's constitution, the president is elected by parliament in a secret vote without a preceding debate. Candidates should be nominated by at least 20 MPs. To be elected, a candidate needs to be backed by three-fifths of all MPs. In case parliament fails to elect a president in three rounds of voting, another two rounds are held where the candidate is elected with a simple majority. If they too prove unsuccessful, parliament is dissolved and general elections are called.
Albania's president has a five-year mandate. The incumbent president, Bamir Topi, was elected in 2007 and his term expires in July.