The ruling DUI party is planning to replace five members of its Presidency who left this body in April, as part of their decision to team up with the rival faction led by Izet Mexhiti.

DUI plans to hold elections on July 2nd in the municipalities where the five members were elected from, and will appoint new representatives who will presumably be loyal to party leader Ali Ahmeti and his deputy Artan Grubi. The party expressed regret that the officials decided to leave the Presidency, even as the faction insists that it is still part of DUI and tries to remove Grubi and assert itself.

The long simmering feud forced Ahmeti to push for the inclusion of the Alliance of Albanians party in the coalition, to make up for the at least two votes in Parliament that he lost as result of Mexhiti’s faction.