TIRANA, Nov 3 /ATA/ – Albania’s Constitutional Court ruled on Monday that Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj can continue in office, overturning a government decision that had removed him.
According to local media, the court voted 5-3 in Veliaj’s favor, effectively nullifying President Bajram Begaj’s decree calling for partial elections in the Albanian capital.
Veliaj had been dismissed by the Council of Ministers on September 25 following a proposal from Tirana’s city council, citing a law on local government that requires officials to be present in their duties. The government argued Veliaj had been absent from his position for three months.
President Begaj subsequently decreed partial elections for Tirana on October 1, but the vote was suspended by an interim decision from the Constitutional Court pending a final ruling.
Veliaj, who has been in pre-trial detention since February 10, faces nine charges of passive corruption, as well as accusations of money laundering, failure to declare assets, abuse of office, and smuggling contraband into prison.
The Constitutional Court’s decision means no mayoral elections will be held in Tirana, keeping Veliaj in office despite ongoing legal proceedings.
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