Ruling majority also rejects president’s nominees for high court
TIRANA, Jan. 27 – The Socialist Party and its key ally, the Socialist Movement for Integration, which make up three-fifth of the 140-seat parliament, have said they will replace the head of head of the High Inspectorate of the Property Declaration and Conflict of Interest Control, or ILDKPKI, Zana Xhuka, for what they say are “arbitrary decisions” she has taken and for being appointed contrary to the constitution in the post.
Xhuka has been accused by her employees for hiding reports on audits of top officials of the Democratic Party that was in government until last year, when they lost in the June parliamentary elections. Xhuka, on her part, has accused the employees of threatening her life.
This week, the prosecutor’s office said they had stopped the investigation on both accusations.
But the Socialist parliamentarians have started the procedure to remove Xhuka. They will have to convince the country’s president, Bujar Nishani, to act on the matter, as ILDKPKI is an independent institution under presidential prevue.
Nishani, himself a Democratic nominee, has said he will not act on the matter, which means the MPs will likely have to force a vote in parliament to overcome a presidential veto.
But Xhuka’s removal has not been the only recent spat between the Socialist-dominated parliament and the head of state. At the same time, the Socialists also turned down two candidates offered by Nishani for the post of judges at the Supreme Court.
They were supposed to fill vacant places at the Supreme Court for the Administrative Court, created only in November last year. The MPs said the nominees do not have enough experience in that sphere.
Analysts say the debate will likely continue and there will be more political conflict between the Socialists and the president in the near future.
