TIRANA, Feb. 9 – The EU Delegation to Albania and the U.S. Embassy have issued a joint statement calling on Albanian MPs to support the extension of the mandate of the vetting institutions that are part of the country’s justice reform.
The statement comes as parliament is set to vote on Thursday on the proposal of the ruling Socialist Party to change the constitution, again, to allow for an extension of the mandate of the Independent Qualification Commission and public commissioners to be postponed until the end of 2024.
The deadline for these two institutions expires in June 2022, and it is estimated that at least 30 percent of judges and prosecutors will not have undergone the re-evaluation process by that deadline.
Justice reform ‘showing results’
The joint statement notes that Albania’s EU accession reforms are progressing and the implementation of the justice reform is among “the most difficult but essential steps.”
“We are at an important moment, as justice reform is showing results,” the statement notes, adding that the vetting of judges and prosecutors is a fundamental element of justice reform.
“In order to allow the vetting institutions to complete their mission, it is necessary to amend the constitution to extend their mandate for a limited period. The Venice Commission confirmed that the proposed extension is in line with European standards, and is necessary to ensure the equality in law and legal certainty,” the joint U.S.-EU statement notes.
It adds: “The proposed vetting extension is strongly supported by Albania’s friends who wish to see Albania in the EU as soon as possible. This is not a partisan issue. We hope that all Members of Parliament — regardless of party affiliation — will see this as a matter of national interest and vote accordingly, just as they have always supported Albania’s European path. A vote for the vetting extension is a vote for the future of Albania in the EU.”
Similar statements of support for the extension were also made by the British Embassy and the OSCE Presence in Albania.
Call aimed at pressuring opposition
As the ruling Socialist Party has declared it is in favor of the extension, the internationals’ call this week is clearly set to put pressure on opposition MPs who have yet to state which way they will vote on the matter.
Some opposition representatives have expressed grave concerns that the ruling Socialist Party is using the justice reform to capture the new justice bodies with appointees that are friendly to the ruling party.
The slow progress of the justice reform – now nearly six years after its approval with full political consensus – has caused frustrations in Albania as the vetting process paralyzed justice institutions for years, including the Constitutional Court, giving the ruling Socialist Party unchecked powers, critics say.
But in recent months, the Constitutional Court has finally gained a quorum to look at cases and some of the new justice reform bodies are finally moving to investigate hundreds of files related to high-level corruption.
Last week, a former interior minister received a 3.3 year prison sentence for abuse of power due to ties with an organized crime group. Another former minister was arrested last month in relation to a large corruption affair tied to the construction of trash incinerators after charges were filed by the opposition.
