Former Albanian president elected pro-EU party chief

(TIRANA) - Former Albanian president Bamir Topi was elected Friday to lead a new center-right pro-EU party that aims to play a positive role in calming down political tensions in the Balkan country.

"The Albanians are tired and disappointed with political tensions that have lasted for years," Topi told reporters after being elected leader of the New Democratic Spirit (NED) party, formed earlier this year.

Topi's presidential mandate ended in July.

He has strongly criticised the two main political parties in Albania -- the rightist Democratic party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the Socialist opposition -- and blamed them for being responsible for a slow pace of reforms necessary for the country to join the European Union.

"Albania is the only former communist country which has failed to obtain an EU candidacy status and the two biggest parties, with their ongoing conflicts that keep the country in permanent tensions, are solely responsible for that," Topi said.

Brussels has twice refused to grant the candidacy status to Albania which hopes for a positive decision later this year.