On Wednesday, the Academy of Sciences elected with a simple majority, and in violation of the law, its members and deputy members for the ad-hoc commission for the preliminary evaluation of the candidate members for the High Judicial Council (KLGj) and High Prosecutorial Counctil (KLP).
Four candidates presented for the vote had been preselected by the presidium of the Academy, leaving no room for any other possible candidates proposed by the assembly. This procedure was in violation of the legislative framework of the judicial reform, which stipulates that the proposal for candidates should be an open proess.
The presidium of the Academy of Sciences consists of chairman Muzafer Korkuti, a 81-year-old archeologist, deputy chairman Gudar Beqiri, and academic Vasil Tole. The assembly consists of 32 members. The candidates proposed by the presidium were Muzafer Korkuti, Vasil Tole, Floresha Dado, and Beqir Meta. In other words, the presidium nominated two of its own members to the ad-hoc preliminary evaluation commission chaired by the National Ombudsman.
This unlawful election process was criticized by academic Artan Fuga, who a few days ago expressed his discontent with the procedural errors in a letter.
The acts of the Academy of Sciences touch upon the credibility of the entirety of the selection process of the candidate members for the KLGj and KLP.
The role of the ad-hoc commission
The Independent Ad-Hoc Commission does the preliminary evaluation of the five candidates from outside the judicial system for both the KLGj and KLP, which will eventually be nominated by Parliament. The commission will verify the fulfillment of legal requirements and complete a preliminary evaluation of the moral and professional integrity of the candidates.
The commission consists of a chairman (the National Ombudsman), deputy chairman (Chairman of the Council of Judicial Nominations), two lawyers (the oldest and the youngest members of the National Chamber of Lawyers) and a regular member from the Academy of Sciences, from the social sciences. The commission orders the candidates on the basis of merit and sends the list to the General Secretary of Parliament.
Both the Academy of Sciences and the National Chamber of Lawyers present the list with the members elected according to the criteria of the law on judicial institutions to the National Ombudsman, who also financially and administratively supports the work of the commission.
