President Ilir Meta has refused to appear before the committee of inquiry established in record time by the ruling Socialist Party MPs with the aim to dismiss him after the April 25 elections.
The committee had asked Meta to appear in a hearing session any time between May 19 and May 24, after they had refused May 10, the date proposed by the President.
In a letter to Parliament on Monday, Meta said the committee is illegitimate, in violation of the Albanian Constitution and laws, and that the President will not collude with it.
Meta had already made his position clear in a previous letter to Parliament, in which he detailed his claims as to why the Socialists’ initiative to dismiss him violated the Constitution.
He maintains that the move aims to divert public attention from the alleged rigging of the April 25 elections and the ongoing review of complaints by the Central Election Commission.
Committee member, Socialist MP Spartak Braho proposed that the President be brought by force before them, but his proposal was refused.
Starting from Tuesday, the committee will begin to review the evidence gathered in support of the Socialists MPs’ allegations that the President violated the constitution during the electoral campaign by siding with the opposition.
In their list of allegations, the PS claims that Meta has failed to guarantee national unity, he has encouraged political strife, incited people to violence and hate, which have resulted in one dead and several wounded. He is also accused of insulting the Prime Minister and foreign diplomats, and hence of damaging Albania’s image worldwide.
Read more: Committee of Inquiry to Dismiss Albanian President Established in Record Time
