President Ilir Meta argued that the “electoral activity” of the Socialist Party on June 30th was “completely illegal and unconstitutional”. In additional, he reiterated his proposal to political parties for general and presidential elections to take place on the same day with the October 13th local elections in Albania.
In a statement focusing on the constitutionality of his latest decrees cancelling June 30th and setting October 13th as the new election date, the President stated:
“[…] evaluating the serious crisis of representation in the country, the President of the Republic calls upon all actors to join his proposal that on 13 October, Albanian citizens should also vote for the Albanian Parliament and the President of the Republic.”
The President clarified once again that his decree cancelling the previously set date is “an act of a completely specific legal and constitutional nature”, it is still in force, and it could only be reviewed by the Constitutional Court. He pointed out that the said decree has not been contested before a court by any political party or non-political entity, it has not been changed, annulled or abrogated. Furthermore, Meta argued, the Electoral College is not competent, and did not review the validity of the presidential decree.
The head of the state denounced the ruling Socialist Party attempts to delegitimize decisions of the president and misinform the public regarding the Electoral College’s decision.
“In the absence of the Constitutional Court, which would have to review any claim on the constitutionality of the Decree of the President of the Republic, the Socialist Party and the CEC [Central Election Commission], using the National Unity Party (PUK, the ally of the Socialist Party in these elections) staged a procedural action to indirectly anathematize the Head of State’s decision in order to build a propaganda operation within and outside the country, in order to misinform that the Decree of the President was abolished by the Electoral College.
The undertaking of a process at the Electoral College by the PUK party, was just an attempt by the Socialist Party to politically justify the illegality of its members’ activities in the CEC.
This coordinated activity of the CEC, the Socialist Party and the Electoral College, was expected to fail, because there was no legal possibility to happen otherwise.”
President Meta called on parties not to deepen the political crises in Albania, while also arguing that October 13th is an excellent opportunity to guaranteeing inclusive and democratic local elections in the country.
