FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The Constitutional Court has again interrupted the session where, since 10:00, the appeal of the dismissed Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, is being reviewed, who opposes the dismissal process that was conducted by Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Holta Zaçaj, President of the Constitutional Court, announced the interruption of the session for 20 minutes, the second interruption today.
The session is expected to resume at around 4:00 PM, while during the 5 hours the parties presented their submissions and answered questions from the members of the Constitutional Court.
Directly asking the Court "what violation have I committed", Mayor Veliaj emphasized in his speech that his constitutional mandate cannot be terminated by anyone before it expires according to the deadline, except in cases where there are serious violations of the Constitution.
"What serious violation of the Constitution or the law have I committed, in exercising the constitutional mandate of the Mayor of Tirana? My effort to protect the covenant with the citizens of Tirana, even in the conditions of being kidnapped in a cell, is my obligation to the citizens," said Veliaj.
Veliaj said that he was kidnapped from his office without committing any crime and that he is being held in custody with a more severe prison regime than serial murders. During this period, he said, he has experienced a series of violations of fundamental rights, and the denigration and attempt to silence his voice as a local elected official. But, "the belief that the free vote is stronger than political intrigue is the power that drives me to fight this battle," Veliaj said.
Veliaj said that he has adhered to the covenant contract with the citizens and asked the Constitutional Court to be a guarantor that the citizens' vote is not taken by others in a secret or fraudulent manner, reaching out from time to time to representatives of the Presidency and the Council of Ministers.
Veliaj described the argument used for dismissal that he had not shown up for duty for more than three months as an insult, the most serious in his life, especially since it came from his own people, who, as the dismissed Mayor said, are people who know his work in the municipality better than anyone. According to him, two injustices were committed, saying that Veliaj was absent from duty is not simply a cynicism that is done not only towards him, but also towards the truth and the law.
"They couldn't have insulted me more severely. It was the worst of my public life, because it came from my collaborators, from people who know me better than anyone else and who didn't even deign to listen to me. God forgive them! I pray every night for them: God, forgive them, for they don't know what they've done," he said.
There was also criticism of the procedure followed for his dismissal, ironically saying that he was surprised by the impressive efficiency from the day the Municipal Council voted in favor of the proposal for his dismissal to President Bajram Begaj's decree announcing elections in Tirana, implying that there was a coordinated scenario against him.
Veliaj defended the idea that the procedure followed against him represents a danger to democracy.
"This session is not examining a job. This is a historic session, which examines Albanian democracy itself. We have sworn to protect democracy, not to use it. To preserve it as the most sacred asset of the Republic, not to sacrifice it for the sake of the moment, for political comfort or for temporary orders, which contradict the eternal law of justice," said Veliaj.
When asked by the Constitutional Court judges about his absence from duty, Veliaj replied that his absence is not a choice, because he would have been in office in his heart, but he is forced by the state, which, as he said, has led him to Durrës for internment and another part tells him why he is not in Tirana. His absence from duty is for a reason, said Veliaj, emphasizing that in the meantime, work in the Municipality has not been interrupted even though he is in prison, since the duty has been delegated. Veliaj said that he is not seeking mercy, but Constitutional justice, emphasizing that he is not fighting this battle only for himself, but also for Ogerta, Florin or Arlidni, the candidates who want to take his place at the head of the Municipality of Tirana.
Veliaj's defense argued that Article 62, point c, of the Law on Local Government cannot be used as a basis for dismissing a mayor, as Article 115 of the Constitution stipulates that the government can only take such a decision for serious violations of the Constitution or laws. However, the Council of Ministers requested that the dismissal decision, as well as the decree on elections in Tirana, be left in force.
Position from the representative of the Presidency
The session began with a preliminary request from the Presidency, which requested that the decree announcing the elections in Tirana not be part of this trial, as according to them it is not within the competence of the Constitutional Court. The request was rejected by a unanimous decision by the Constitutional Court, but this brought criticism from the Presidency's legal advisor, Ilir Rusmaili, who said that the Constitutional Court is exceeding its competences by considering the President's decree.
He said that the Constitutional Court usurped the presidency's authority by suspending the decree for the elections in Tirana, instead of dealing with the appeal of Veliaj's dismissal from office. According to him, if the court had ruled on this appeal, then it was up to the president to suspend the decree within the day as his authority.
“Me këtë përmbajtje, presidenti do të shkelte edhe kushtetutën e ligjit nëse do e pezullonte. Presidenti nuk përfshihet në thelbin e çështjeve, nuk bëhet aktor dhe nuk merr vendime si organet e tjera. Sidomos kur rastet kanë lidhje me politikën dhe zgjedhjet, rri larg procesit, prandaj nuk mund të ndërmarrë veprime që cenojnë pozitën e vet kushtetuese. Është e vërtetë se presidenca ka diskutuar gjatë për këtë çështje sikurse ka pritur edhe sinjal nga Gjykata Kushtetuese dhe e kemi diskutuar shumë opsionin që t’i adresoheshim GJK por kemi parë pengesën e fortë ligjore për t’u adresuar. Nuk është rasti i parë, kemi parë të tjera që kemi dashur të angazhohemi në dialog me Gjykatën Kushtetuese, dhe jemi frenuar për faktin se gjykata ka ligj të rreptë dhe as opinionit puiblik nuk i bënte punë një shkresë nga Sekretari i Përgjithshëm. Po them as nga kryetarja e gjykatës nuk i bënte punë. Kryetarja ka shprehur vullnetin e saj por nuk ka kompetencën që të tërheqë opinionin e anëtarëve dhe t’i kumtojë ato. Pritëm në maksimumin e kohës së mundshme që gjykata, nga vetja, kishte një ankesë të dhënë përpara, por të ndante shapin nga sheqeri dhe të ndihmonte të gjithë palët për të zgjidhur menjëherë dhe ligjërisht këtë gjë.", theksoi Rusmali.
Rusmaili tha se Presidenti ka bërë vetëm detyrën dhe se mosdekretimi i zgjedhjeve do ishte ‘atentat’ Kushtetues.
“I qëndrojmë parashtrimeve të dorëzuar më datë 15 tetor. Dekreti i Presidentit ka qenë kushtetues në datë 1 tetor, kur ai u mor dhe ngelet i tillë sot se ka qenë kushtetues në atë datë. Dekreti ka qenë i tillë dhe mbetet i tillë për shkak se kushtetuta e bënin dekreti kushtetues.
Ju e shihni veten kompetentë për të marrë në shqyrtim dhe për të vendosur me dekretin se e shihni të lidhur me çështjen e themelit Ju nuk thatë sot që dekreti nuk është akt administrativ, ndryshe nga qëndrimet e mëparshme të kushtetueses. Ju e shihni të lidhur, nuk kemi asgjë për të kontestuar, vetëm se shohim disa probleme të vogla, është normale që shumicën e çështjeve që vijnë para GJK të gjetjet një lidhje me aktet zbatuese. Nëse lidhja tërheq kompetencën tuaj për gjykimin e këtyre akteve, ju mund të ndodheni para situatës ku ju duhet të jepni ose hiqni leje ndërtimi, apo leje legalizimi, apo akte të tjera administrative. Kjo është e rrezikshme për Kushtetueses se e nxjerr atë jashtë funksionit të vet kushtetues. Në fund të ditës ju do jeni të detyruar të merrni një vend në raport me dekretin dhe do përballeni me faktin. Kushtetua ja lejon të shqyrtoni aktin për shkarkimin e presidentit dhe aktin e KM për shkarkimin e të zgjedhurve vendor kur kryhen shkelje të rënda të kushtetutës ose ligjit. Nëse është e tillë pse nuk janë te neni 131 i kushtetutës, pse nuk ka kompetencë që përcakton kompetencën tuaj për të marrë në shqyrtim dhe për të shqyrtuar në themel dekretet të presidentit, nëse nuk është, do të thotë që kompetencën nuk e keni”, tha Rusmaili.
Qëndrimi nga përfaqësuesja e Qeverisë
The representative of the Council of Ministers, Irma Qosja, in the public session on Erion Veliaj's appeal being held at the Constitutional Court, also focused on the Mayor's claim that he was informed through the Council's secretary, which, according to her, is not within his competence. But Qosja said that, according to Article 57 of the special law, the secretary has the duty to carry out all procedures for the holding of the Municipal Council meeting, including informing the mayor, for whom the meeting is being held.
"Regarding the claims for the violation of the right to be heard and protected, as the applicant has claimed, it turns out that he was aware of the initiative for his dismissal. Information that was confirmed by the letter dated 22.09.25 of the Municipal Council. In Article 57 of the special law, it turns out that the duty of the council secretary includes keeping official council documents, notifying the holding of council meetings, announcing and publishing council acts, etc. Referring to this provision, the applicant's claims that the secretary's notification has no legal value are unfounded because the law has charged him with the duties of keeping documentation and performing duties for holding meetings.", she said.
Lini një Përgjigje