The Council of Ministers (Albanian: Këshilli i Ministrave) is the principal executive organ of the Albanian government. The Council is led by the Prime Minister of Albania and includes 17 other ministers, nominated by the Prime Minister and confirmed by the Albanian parliament. The Council is responsible for carrying out both foreign and domestic policies. It directs and controls the activities of the ministries its members lead as well as other executive state bodies. The Prime Minister is nominated by the President of Albania based on the proposal of the majority party or coalition in the parliament. The nominee must then secure a vote of confidence in parliament to be appointed. If the parliament does not have confidence in the nominee, the President presents another within 10 days. Once appointed, the Prime Minister presents his policy program and proposed cabinet before the Parliament where the government, as a whole, is confirmed. The Deputy Prime Minister takes over the functions of the prime minister in his absence. As of April 2017, after a reshuffle, 50% of the cabinet ministers are women. Source: Wikipedia (en)