The Government of Albania - CountriesPedia

Albania - Government

Based on the etymolgy of Albania, it was the English-language country name seems to be derived from the ancient Illyrian tribe of the Albani; the native name "Shqiperia" is derived from the Albanian word "Shqiponje" ("Eagle") and is popularly interpreted to mean "Land of the Eagles". The Government system in this country is the parliamentary republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane (Tirana), Vlore

National symbols

Black double-headed eagle; national colors: red, black.

The flag

The National flag of Albania has red with a black two-headed eagle in the center; the design is claimed to be that of 15th-century hero Georgi Kastrioti SKANDERBEG, who led a successful uprising against the Ottoman Turks that resulted in a short-lived independence for some Albanian regions (1443-78); an unsubstantiated explanation for the eagle symbol is the tradition that Albanians see themselves as descendants of the eagle; they refer to themselves as "Shqiptare," which translates as "sons of the eagle".

The National Anthem

Title	"Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag)
Lyric/music	Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU

note: adopted 1912

More about the government of Albania

Constitution
Date of Independence	28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)
National holiday	Independence Day, 28 November (1912), also known as Flag Day
Legal system	civil law system except in the northern rural areas where customary law known as the "Code of Leke" is still present
International law organization participation	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
History	Several previous; latest approved by the Assembly 21 October 1998, adopted by referendum 22 November 1998, promulgated 28 November 1998
Amendments	Proposed by at least one-fifth of the Assembly membership; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; referendum required only if approved by two-thirds of the Assembly; amendments approved by referendum effective upon declaration by the president of the republic; amended several times, last in 2020
Citizenship
Citizenship by birth	no
Citizenship by descent only	at least one parent must be a citizen of Albania
Dual citizenship recognized	yes
Residency requirement for naturalization	5 years
Executive Branch
Chief of state	President Bajram BEGAJ (since 24 July 2022)
Head of government	Prime Minister Edi RAMA (since 10 September 2013)
Cabinet	Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by the Assembly
Elections/appointments	president indirectly elected by the Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); a candidate needs three-fifths majority vote of the Assembly in 1 of 3 rounds or a simple majority in 2 additional rounds to become president; election last held in 4 rounds on 16, 23, and 30 May and 4 June 2022 (next election to be held in 2027); prime minister appointed by the president on the proposal of the majority party or coalition of parties in the Assembly
Election results	2022: Bajram BEGAJ elected president in the fourth round; Assembly vote - 78-4, opposition parties boycotted 2017: Ilir META elected president in the fourth round; Assembly vote - 87-2
Legislative branch
Description	Unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open party-list proportional representation vote using the D'Hondt method; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections	Last held on 25 April 2021 (next to be held in 2025)
Election results	Percent of vote by party/coalition - PS 48.7%, PD-Alliance for Change 39.4%, LSI 6.8%, PSD 2.3%, other 2.8%; seats by party/coalition - PS 74, PD-Alliance for Change 59, LSI 4, PSD 3; composition - men 90, women 50, percentage 35.7%
Judicial branch
Highest court(s)	Supreme Court (consists of 19 judges, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including the chairman)
Judge selection and term of office	Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Judicial Council with the consent of the president to serve single 9-year terms; Supreme Court chairman is elected for a single 3-year term by the court members; appointments of Constitutional Court judges are rotated among the president, Parliament, and Supreme Court from a list of pre-qualified candidates (each institution selects 3 judges), to serve single 9-year terms; candidates are pre-qualified by a randomly selected body of experienced judges and prosecutors; Constitutional Court chairman is elected by the court members for a single, renewable 3-year term
Subordinate courts	Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; specialized courts: Court for Corruption and Organized Crime, Appeals Court for Corruption and Organized Crime (responsible for corruption, organized crime, and crimes of high officials)
Diplomatic representation in the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador Ervin BUSHATI (since 15 September 2023)
Chancery	2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone	[1] (202) 223-4942
FAX	[1] (202) 628-7342
Email address and website	[email protected] http://www.ambasadat.gov.al/usa/en
Consulate(s) general	New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires David WISNER (since August 2023)
Embassy	Rruga Stavro Vinjau, No. 14, Tirana
Mailing address	9510 Tirana Place, Washington DC 20521-9510
Telephone	[355] 4 2247-285
FAX	[355] 4 2232-222
Email address and website	[email protected] https://al.usembassy.gov/
National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites	4 (2 cultural, 1 natural, 1 mixed)
Selected World Heritage Site locales	Butrint (c); Historic Berat and Gjirokastër (c); Primeval Beech Forests (n); Lake Ohrid Region (m)