The parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs passed the proposal to dismiss the President of Albania on grounds of “serious violation to the Constitution,” following the cancellation of local election date by President Ilir Meta.
The Committee approved a report and its proposal for the establishment of a special inquiry committee, which will be presented to the Parliament. If the proposal and the report pass the vote in Parliament, an inquiry committee will be established to examine whether the President violated the Constitution. If the committee confirms such serious violations, the Parliament will vote on dismissing the head of state.
Socialist Party MPs in the Committee of Legal Affairs stated that they proposed to dismiss the President because “Meta violated the Constitution by taking up competencies of the Parliament, and by violating the principles of periodic elections, legality and citizens’ right to elect.”
Earlier this month, 55 PS MPs submitted a request to dismiss President Meta. Head of PS parliamentary group Taulant Balla said that the move came after the president had not reflected on the PS resolution condemning the cancellation of election date.
After the parliament vote, the verdict to dismiss the president is taken by the Constitutional Court, which has been dysfunctional for over one and a half years.
The legal framework stipulates the following steps to sack the President of Albania:
- No less than 1/4 the of the MPs can propose the dismissal of the President of the Republic;
- The request should be submitted in written to the Speaker of the Parliament and should contain in a motivated and concrete way the serious violation to the Constitution, or committing of a serious crime;
- The Speaker of the Parliament does immediately inform the Parliament and the President of the Republic;
- The Speaker transmits the request to the Committee on Legal Affairs, Public Administration and Human Rights;
- Within 15 days, the Committee submits to the Parliament a report and its proposal for the establishment or non-establishment of an inquiry committee;
- The Parliament votes on the report not later than 7 days from its submission by the Committee;
- If the Parliament accepts the report and the proposal, it establishes an inquiry committee for this issue;
- The Parliament examines the report within 20 days from its submission;
- The Parliament decides on dismissing the President of the Republic by not less than 2/3 of all its members;
- The Speaker sends to the Constitutional Court the decision of the Parliament to dismiss the President of the Republic;
- The Constitutional Court makes the final decision on the merit of the parliamentary vote to discharge the President.
