Albania parliament opens after Socialist landslide

Albania's parliament convened Monday for the first time since the landslide victory in June of prime minister-elect Edi Rama's Socialist party, AP reported. Lawmakers decided only to create a commission to verify their mandate until the next session Tuesday, when Parliament elects a speaker. Rama's Socialist-led alliance won nearly 58 percent of the popular vote and 83 seats in the 140-member parliament. The 49-year-old Socialist defeated veteran conservative former prime minister and president Sali Berisha. Rama campaigned against widespread corruption and on a pledge to take the NATO member closer to eventual European Union membership. He will be sworn in later this month. Lawmakers are expected to approve the 20-member Cabinet in the coming days.