TIRANA, Nov. 2 – Albania’s parliament has started procedures for constitutional changes aimed at extending the mandate of two key institutions that work on the re-evaluation of judges and prosecutors — widely known as the vetting process.
The changes were proposed by the ruling Socialist Party, given that in June next year, the Independent Qualification Commission and public Commissioners will end their five-year terms.
The Socialists say the mandate needs to be extended until December 2024, a time within which, according to them, the process can be completed.
The opposition representatives left the parliamentary meeting where the initiative of the Socialists was discussed after their request for this issue to be discussed two days later was rejected by the Socialists.
The Democratic Party wants to insert changes that would include a vetting process for politicians in addition to those for members of the justice system.
The U.S. Embassy and the Delegation of the European Union, as well as the International Monitoring Operation, whose experts closely monitor the entire justice reform vetting process, have publicly spoken in favor of extending the mandate of the re-evaluation institutions.
Amendments to Albania’s constitution require a two-thirds majority in parliament and consequently need a consensus vote between the two largest parties — SP and DP.
If the opposition does not join the majority’s initiative, then the re-evaluation process will have to be carried out by the High Judicial Council for judges and the High Prosecution Council for prosecutors.
Experts estimate that at current processing rates, the vetting institutions can complete the process for only two-thirds of the more than 800 judges and prosecutors in Albania by the time their current mandate runs out.
