The new Albanian parliament will convene on September 9, president Bujar Nishani said after the Albanian Central Election Commission (CEC) announced the final results of the June 23 general elections, local TV TOP channel reported.

It took about six weeks for the election body to close the ballot counting process and recounting due to signals for election frauds. According to CEC, the Socialist-led coalition “Alliance for a European Albania” (ASHE) won 83 mandates in the 140-seat parliament against 57 seats for the DP-led coalition – “Alliance for Employment, Prosperity and Integration” (APMI).

The lawmakers are expected to mandate Socialist Party (SP) leader, Edi Rama to form the country’s next government. Rama and his coalition partners from the Socialist Movement for Integration (SMI) have already presented plans for the new cabinet structure as well as nominations for new ministers.

Rama plans to increase the number of ministries to 19, including 3 ministers without portfolio, one of them to serve as deputy PM. The major changes from the structure of the former cabinet of Sali Berisha will be the split in two of the largest ministries. More specifically, the current economy ministry will be divided into a ministry of economic development entrepreneurship and trade and ministry of energy and industry. The current ministry of public works and transport will be split into a ministry of transport and infrastructure and ministry of urban development and tourism.

The three ministers without portfolio will be responsible for innovation and public administration; relations with local governments and relations with the parliament.