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The Head of the Institutional Oversight Committee reacts to the changes in the Assembly that limit SPAK's reporting in the plenary hall. The opposition raises doubts about a new political filter on justice
Fatmir Xhafaj has publicly come out in defense of the new role that parliament is taking on towards justice institutions, at a time when changes to the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly have sparked a strong political debate about the relationship between politics and SPAK.
For the first time, the head of SPAK will no longer report to the 140 deputies in the plenary hall of the Assembly, but only to two parliamentary committees, one of which is headed by Fatmir Xhafaj.
The change has been seen by many political circles as a cautious move to create a new channel of parliamentary control over justice institutions, while Xhafaj himself tried to quell suspicions that the commission he heads could be used as an instrument of pressure on SPAK.
At a roundtable discussion on institutional oversight, the former Minister of Justice insisted that the role of parliament does not violate the independence of institutions.
" Parliamentary control is not an institutional conflict. Parliamentary oversight is not interference. Accountability does not violate institutional independence. Transparency is not the enemy of independence ," Xhafaj declared.
But his statements come precisely at a delicate moment, when suspicions are growing in politics that the majority is seeking to build new mechanisms of influence over justice institutions through the parliamentary filter.
The very fact that SPAK is removed from reporting directly to the plenary hall and moves to committees, where the debate is more politically controlled, is being seen by critics as a clear signal for a change in the relationship between the Assembly and the Special Prosecution Office.
Xhafaj, who a decade ago was a political figure who led the justice reform, stated that he is aware of the "delicate balance" between parliamentary control and the independence of institutions.
" I am aware that parliamentary control in general and especially in the case of independent institutions is one of the most delicate balances in any institutional democracy. We consider it unacceptable during this process to comment on specific issues or any kind of influence on their institutional decision-making ," he said.
However, skepticism remains strong, especially due to the fact that the commission led by Xhafaj is gradually gaining more powers in relation to independent institutions.
Ironically, the Democrats, who once attacked Xhafaj as a symbol of the "narco-state" and demanded his removal from politics, have today joined the votes with the Socialists for changes that strengthen the role of his committee in the Assembly.
At the same roundtable where Xhafaj spoke about "transparency" and "accountability", the Dutch ambassador to Tirana gave a completely different message to the Albanian political class, emphasizing that the European Union requires independent institutions and a government that is truly accountable.
The Dutch diplomat's message was interpreted by many as an indirect warning against any political attempt to create pressure or control over the new justice institutions.
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