Topi’s office dismisses the charges, describing them as politically-motivated to draw attention away from other very important issues in Albanian politics.
Tirana Times
A representative of Albania’s ruling Democratic Party sharply attacked President Bamir Topi this week for not nominating the head of the Constitutional Court, whose mandate has expired, saying this is a serious and unprecedented act.
Topi’s office dismissed the charges in a statement, and described them as politically-motivated to draw attention away from other very important issues in Albanian politics.
The Democrats say Topi’s inaction “violates the constitution.”
“On behalf of the Commission of Laws and the Constitution, I call on the President to decree as soon as possible the head of the of the Constitutional Court, the guarantor institution of the Constitution and, simultaneously, seek the urgent help of Parliament to make his appointment,” said Eduard Halimi, a Democratic Party MP.
Calling the delay ‘a very severe event’, Halimi said the appointment should have been made before June 4.
However, the legal adviser to the president, Spiro Peci, said at a news conference, that when the new parliamentary session starts in September, the nomination will be made.
“We expect to finish in August, and in September, when the Parliament will start work again, we’ll appoint the head of the Constitutional Court,” said Peci.
This is the biggest clash in a trend of arguments between the Democratic Party, which commands a majority of seats in parliament, and the president, which used to be one of the Democratic Party’s most senior figures before he resigned to take over the apolitical post.
