The parliamentary committee of inquiry investigating Albania’s President Ilir Meta had its first meeting today.
The committee was set on Tuesday with 101 parliamentary votes of both socialist MPs and those of the “new opposition” formed after the opposition left their mandates in February.
Socialist Party (PS) MP Ulsi Manja will chair the committee, which includes four other PS MPs (Bashkim Fino, Alket Hyseni, Klotilda Bushka and Vasilika Hysi) as members, as well as four “new opposition” MPs (Alban Zeneli, Adriatik Alimadhi, Halit Valteri and Krenar Rryçi).
In today’s first meeting Manja stated that the main objective of the committee is to check procedures followed by the President in cancelling the June 30 local elections. It will also examine the consequences of the president’s decision in relation to other institutions, such as the Parliament, Council of Ministers, Central Election Commission or courts.
The committee will have three months to investigate President Meta’s actions and decisions, after which they are expected to present a report to the Parliament that will include their findings and reasons for proposing to dismiss the president.
The Parliament can decide to dismiss the president by no less than 2/3 of its members (93 MPs).
The decision is then sent to the Constitutional Court, which makes the final decision on the merit of the parliamentary vote. Albania does not have a functioning Constitutional Court.
