FLASH
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The international news agency Reuters has dedicated an article to the political situation in Albania, reporting that Prime Minister Edi Rama has stated that the government will change the law to protect ministers from suspension while they are under criminal investigation.
According to Reuters, the initiative has prompted a reaction from the opposition, which accuses the head of government of trying to protect himself and undermine the independence of the judiciary.
The debate is related to the case of Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, who was suspended from office in November following an indictment filed by the Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK). She is accused of alleged interference in a tender for infrastructure projects, charges she has denied.
Reuters writes that SPAK has asked the Parliament to lift Balluk's immunity to allow her arrest, while Rama has opposed what he calls "judicial overreach," particularly regarding the detention measure.
The Socialist Party, which secured its fourth consecutive mandate in the last elections, has a significant parliamentary majority. According to the agency, it remains unclear if and when the Assembly will consider the request to lift Balluk's immunity.
" The moment a minister is dismissed, not only a person is dismissed, but the entire work of that institution ," Rama is quoted as saying to Socialist Party deputies, announcing the plan to amend the law.
Full text
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said his government would change the law to protect ministers from suspension while they are under criminal investigation. The move drew a backlash from the opposition, which accused him of trying to protect himself and undermining the independence of the judiciary.
A court suspended Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku in November after she was indicted by the Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) for alleged interference in a tender for infrastructure projects. Balluku denies the charges. The case has sparked a clash between SPAK, which has asked Parliament to lift her immunity to allow for her arrest, and Prime Minister Rama, who has expressed concern about what he sees as an overreach of authority by the judiciary, particularly in relation to pre-trial detentions.
Albania aims to join the European Union by 2030, but the EU has stressed that the country must intensify efforts in the fight against crime and corruption.
Prime Minister Rama's Socialist Party, which secured a fourth consecutive mandate last year, enjoys a sizeable majority in Parliament. It is not yet clear if and when the Assembly will decide to lift the immunity of Balluku, who also served as Minister of Infrastructure and is considered a close ally of the Prime Minister.
"The moment a minister is dismissed, not only one person is dismissed, but the entire work of that institution is affected," Rama told his party's MPs on Monday, announcing the plan for legal changes.
The opposition has staged a series of protests in Tirana in recent months, demanding Balluk's resignation. On Monday, it said the proposed changes were intended to sway the court process in the prime minister's favor.
“This is nothing more than an attempt by Rama to protect himself, undermining the independence of the judiciary and the separation of powers… because behind Balluk and her violations stands Rama,” the Democratic Party said in a statement sent to Reuters.
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