TIRANA, Jan 14 /ATA/ President of the Republic, Ilir Meta, said on Friday that he has asked the State Election Commissioner to provide information on the municipalities of the country where the mayors’ term has been cut short in order to set the date for by-elections.
“Today, through an official letter sent to the SEC, I requested information on the local government units, ie municipalities, where during this period June 30, 2019-January 2022, according to information and assessment, the mayors’ term has been cut short, the legal cause and the act terminating ahead of time of the mayoral term which requires by-elections in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Code, ” said Meta.
Meta added that, “I look forward to a response from the SEC so that as President of the Republic I can move ahead to address as soon as possible this situation in the interest of all citizens of municipalities without a mayor.”
Asked if the Democratic Party head, Basha, asks for the postponement of elections again, given the situation in the Democratic Party, Meta said that, “I do not want to get involved into unnecessary controversies. I am more than convinced that I have done a patriotic act, by calling off the June 30, 2019 elections and have averted a long-planned, imminent clash between the opposition Democrats and the Socialists. In doing so, I have offered opportunities, not only for comprehensive solutions, which were undermined by both sides, by the respective leaderships, but also provided an opportunity for a way out to prevent the clash, as happened. You saw what happened on January 8 among the Democrats, even though there were not only Democrats there.”
Meta stressed that, “there is no need for the President to consult with anyone because it is not the case of local elections or a space to reach a consensus on the time for holding these elections. This should have been done long ago. Can you tell me why you have not done that before? If I had acted earlier I would have legitimized, or this act would have been used to legitimize the June 30 elections, which were unconstitutional because the President’s decrees were not challenged in any court. From the OSCE / ODIHR mission, Ms. Glover, to “Venice”, and so on and so forth. “And the only court where they could be challenged was the Constitutional Court, because the conflict was constitutional and not administrative.”
“So I am bound to simply act in the conditions provided in such cases and I look forward to a response from the Central Election Commission. “
Meta said: “I fulfill my obligation in this process, others fulfill their obligations. I do not force anyone to take part in by-elections.”
/sm/
