US Ambassador to Albania Yuri Kim has argued that the Venice Commission opinion on the appointment of Constitutional Court members has shown that no institution was “entirely at fault”, and that leaders should work together to make the court operational within 2020.
The opinion focused on a dispute between President Ilir Meta on one side, and the Albanian Parliament and the Chair of Justice Appointment Council (KED), Ardian Dvorani on the other.
The Constitutional Court has 4 of its 9 members; it needs 6 members to rule on cases.
In an opinion piece published on the embassy’s website, Ambassador Kim notes that the justice reform in Albania is at a critical stage, in which those who fear it “are on the attack”, and those who want it must unite.
She lists reform results so far, and assesses that this is the moment to redouble efforts to move forward with it.
The Venice Commission opinion regarding the appointment of Constitutional Court judges is a good opportunity for all sides to come together and cooperate because, according to the ambassador, it showed that “no one institution was entirely at fault”.
Ambassador Kim reminds the Presidency and the Parliament that neither of them is a court with the authority to decide how to proceed when there is a gap in the legislation.
She calls on both institutions to engage in dialogue in order to make sure that the Constitutional Court achieves quorum in 2020.
