cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister,
nominated by the president, and approved by Parliament
elections: president elected by the People's Assembly for a
five-year term; election last held 24 June 2002 (next to be held NA
June 2007); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Alfred MOISIU elected president; People's Assembly
vote by number - total votes 116, for 97, against 19
Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Assembly or Kuvendi Popullor (140 seats; 100
are elected by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote for
four-year terms)
elections: last held 24 June 2001 with subsequent rounds on 8 July,
22 July, 29 July, 19 August 2001 (next to be held July 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - PS 41.5%, PD and
coalition allies 36.8%, PDR 5.2%, PSD 3.6%, PBDNJ 2.6%, PASH (now
PAA) 2.6%, PAD 2.5%; seats by party - PS 73, PD and coalition allies
46, PDR 6, PSD 4, PBDNJ 3, PASH (now PAA) 3, PAD 3, independents 2;
note - seats by party as of January 2005: PS 65, PD and coalition
allies 46, LSI 9, PDR 6, PSD 3, PBDNJ 3, PASH (now PAA) 3, PAD 3,
PDS 1, independents 1
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court, Supreme Court (chairman is elected by the
People's Assembly for a four-year term), and multiple appeals and
district courts
Political parties and leaders:
Agrarian Environmentalist Party or PAA [Lufter XHUVELI]; Christian
Democratic Party or PDK [Nikolle LESI]; Communist Party of Albania
or PKSH [Hysni MILLOSHI]; Democratic Alliance Party or PAD [Neritan
CEKA]; Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]; Legality Movement
Party or PLL [Ekrem SPAHIU]; Liberal Union Party or PBL [Arjan
STAROVA]; National Front Party (Balli Kombetar) or PBK [Adriatik
ALIMADHI]; New Democratic Party or PDR [Genc POLLO]; Party of
National Unity or PUK [Idajet BEQIRI]; Renewed Democratic Party or
PDR [Dashamir SHEHI]; Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU]; Social
Democracy Party or PDS [Paskal MILO]; Social Democratic Party or PSD
[Skender GJINUSHI]; Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI [Ilir
META]; Socialist Party or PS (formerly the Albanian Party of Labor)
[Fatos NANO]; Union for Human Rights Party or PBDNJ [Vangjel DULE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kastriot MUCO];
Front for Albanian National Unification or FBKSH [Gafur ADILI];
Omonia [Jani JANI]; Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania or
BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA]
International organization participation:
ACCT, BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Fatos TARIFA FAX: [1] (202) 628–7342 telephone: [1] (202) 223–4942 chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Marcie B. RIES embassy: Rruga Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana mailing address: U. S. Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles, VA 20189–9510 telephone: [355] (4) 247285 FAX: [355] (4) 374957 and [355] (4) 232222
Flag description: red with a black two-headed eagle in the center
Economy Albania
Economy - overview:
Poor and backward by European standards, Albania is making the
difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy. The
government has taken measures to curb violent crime and to spur
economic activity and trade. The economy is bolstered by remittances
from abroad of $400-$600 million annually, mostly from Greece and
Italy; this helps offset the sizable trade deficit. Agriculture,
which accounts for one-half of GDP, is held back because of frequent
drought and the need to modernize equipment and consolidate small
plots of land. Severe energy shortages and antiquated and inadequate
infrastructure make it difficult to attract and sustain foreign
investment. The government plans to boost energy imports to relieve
the shortages and is moving slowly to improve the poor national road
and rail network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic
growth.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $16.13 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $4,500 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 47.5% industry: 24.6% services: 27.8% (2003 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
18.7% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line:
30% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.4% (2003)
Labor force:
1.35 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers) (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 57%, non-agricultural private sector 20%, public sector
23% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate:
15.8% officially; may be as high as 30% (2003 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.36 billion
expenditures: $1.627 billion, including capital expenditures of $406
million (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes;
meat, dairy products
Industries:
food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement,
chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower
Industrial production growth rate:
2.7% (2003 est.)