The committee of inquiry has completed its report on President Ilir Meta’s actions during the electoral campaign in Albania, and has concluded that he violated the Constitution. Based on this report, the Parliament will decide whether to dismiss the President.
In a live broadcast on Friday, the committee voted unanimously in favor of the report.
The committee head, Socialist MP Alket Hyseni, read some of the conclusions for the press. He argued that the President violated the constitutional requirement to represent the unity of the people by taking a political side in the electoral campaign.
A spokesperson for the President dismissed the report, and reiterated their stance that the committee is illegal.
The report also found that the President has jeopardized Albania’s relation with the United States by attacking its ambassador, Yuri Kim.
Meta had a direct engagement in the electoral campaign, supported the opposition and attacked the ruling majority, in violation of the constitutional requirement of neutrality. In addition, he incited violence and intimidated voters, the report says.
The report will be submitted to Parliament within 7 days.
Meta’s dismissal requires the votes of 94 MPs. The ruling Socialst Party has only 74 but hopes to get the support of the “opposition” MPs who refused to join their parties’ decision to rescind their seats more than two years ago. A number of these MPS have since then supported the majority’s parliamentary initiatives in several cases.
The Socialists launched the process to dismiss President Meta immediately after they won a third term. They plan to finalize his dismissal before the end of this parliamentary season, thus avoiding the opposition’s vote against once the latter enters parliament in September.
