TIRANA, Feb 16 /ATA/ The Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs and Public Administration, Ulsi Manja, on Monday presented the Socialist parliamentary group’s legislative initiative proposing several amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure.
At a meeting of the Socialist Party parliamentary group with Prime Minister Edi Rama present, Ulsi Manja described the proposed legislative initiative, backed by himself, the Prime Minister, and Taulant Balla, as a routine and normal part of parliamentary work.
“This initiative seeks to address a legislative gap in Article 242/2 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The provision governs security measures, and paragraph 1 delineates the Court’s jurisdiction in imposing such measures, which include: suspension from office, a judicial instrument ensuring the integrity of the investigation, and the prohibition from engaging in specified professional activities, a preventive measure linked to the Court’s final adjudication,” Manja stated.
He added that paragraph 2 of this article specifies that the suspension from office does not apply to individuals elected under the electoral law. According to the Electoral Code, in Albania today, this includes members of city councils, mayors, and members of the Assembly.
Manja announced that, beyond the three entities already exempt from suspension, an additional seven entities would also be covered.
“We propose that paragraph 2 be amended to expand the category of individuals to whom suspension from office cannot be applied. This expanded category would include the President of the Republic, the Ombudsman, the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministers, members of the Constitutional Court, and the Chair of the Supreme State Audit,” Manja stated.
Concerning this legislative initiative, Manja highlighted that it is entirely based on the Constitution.
“These institutions have their mandate established by the Constitution and represent the foundational pillars of the state, serving as the cornerstone of a democratic system. The purpose of this amendment is to ensure the continuous and constitutionally compliant functioning of these bodies while safeguarding the authority of the judiciary and prosecution. This reform does not aim to limit criminal jurisdiction or grant personal immunity; rather, it is intended to uphold a proper balance in the exercise of constitutional duties,” stated Ulsi Manja, Chair of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Public Administration.
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