Parliament Speaker Albulena Haxhiu read the declaration, which was agreed by the Vetevendosje, Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Alliance for the Future of Kosovo and Multiethnic Parliamentary Group. It was approved by 99 votes, with none against or abstaining.

Parliament later elected PDK lawmaker Vlora Citaku as deputy speaker and appointed members of its parliamentary committees.

Last week, the PDK proposed amendments to the law governing the Specialist Chambers following the sentencing of former KLA leaders Hashim Thaci, Jakup Krasniqi, Kadri Veseli and Rexhep Selimi to a combined 81 years in prison.

The proposal would limit the court’s jurisdiction to offences cited in a 2011 report by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, including allegations of post-war organ trafficking.

It would also shorten the period covered by the court from January 1998-December 2000 to July 1, 1999-December 2000, cap prison sentences at 15 years, allow sentences to be served in Kosovo and make convicted persons eligible for a presidential pardon.

The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo has backed the proposal, while Vetevendosje, which leads the government, has said it will first review it from a legal perspective. The LDK has not yet taken an official position.

On Sept. 16, the Specialist Chambers sentenced Thaci and Krasniqi to 25 years in prison each, Veseli to 18 years and Selimi to 13 years. The first-instance verdicts can be appealed.

Protests have been held nightly in Pristina since the verdicts, with demonstrators opposing the sentences handed down to the former KLA leaders.

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The demand followed an extraordinary General Assembly of Judges convened over the blocking of salaries for judges and judicial administration staff.

In a joint statement, the judges called on the Finance Ministry and institutions under its authority to immediately process the payrolls, saying legal obligations to judges and court staff could not be withheld.

They said the Constitutional Court ruling and decisions by the High Judicial Council had established the legal parameters for judicial salaries and should be fully implemented.

The judges also called for the immediate payment of salary arrears, saying this was a constitutional obligation that should not be made conditional on the adoption of new legislation.

They called for the prompt adoption of a new legal framework on judicial pay in line with the Constitutional Court ruling and constitutional guarantees protecting the status of magistrates, with genuine consultation with the bodies governing the justice system.

The judges said they would reject any legal proposal that failed to safeguard their salaries and other lawful benefits within the parameters established by the Constitutional Court and High Judicial Council.

They also demanded an end to administrative practices that, they said, hindered the financial operation of courts or created recurring uncertainty over the salaries of judges and judicial staff.

The statement said judges would use all available administrative, civil and constitutional legal remedies to secure payment of their salaries.

“If the responsible institutions do not act immediately to implement the Constitutional Court ruling and release the salaries, measures undertaken by the judiciary will be escalated, including the temporary reduction and restriction of judicial activity to urgent cases requiring immediate judicial intervention,” the statement said.

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Speaking at a meeting of the parliamentary group of the ruling Socialist Party, Rama said prosecutors’ request to restrict Balluku’s liberty was based on a suspicion of “inequality in public tenders.”

According to Rama, the allegation against Balluku, also former Infrastructure and Energy Minister, relates to events dating back several years.

“The accusation brought last year is not for theft, corruption or any other offence linked to a crime scene or a serious criminal act, but only for a reasonable suspicion that, six years ago, in her capacity as minister, she committed the criminal offence of ‘inequality in public tenders’,” Rama said.

He said the allegation was based on messages discovered years later on the mobile phone of a former director.

Rama argued that the suspension from office had been imposed before the claims had been fully investigated, describing the measure as unjustified.

“It was an absurd measure that effectively suspended the institutional function, not simply the person,” he said.

Balluku is under investigation by the Special Anti-Corruption and Anti-Crime Prosecution Structure (SPAK) over procedures related to the construction of the Llogara Tunnel and several lots of the Tirana Outer Ring Road project. Prosecutors accuse the former minister of violating equality in public tenders.

Rama said parliament was now discussing a new request from prosecutors under its constitutional authority to authorize or reject the arrest of a sitting lawmaker under the Constitution of Albania.

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Speaking to reporters after leaving SPAK, Berisha accused the government and senior justice officials of political interference and pressure on the judiciary.

He claimed an internal meeting was taking place inside SPAK and alleged that new instructions had been issued to officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

“If you tried to enter that building, you would not be allowed in because a very special meeting was under way,” Berisha said, adding without providing evidence that decisions had been taken regarding the arming of NBI agents.

“All NBI agents will be disarmed and rearmed with wooden pistols,” Berisha said.

Berisha also criticized a recent Constitutional Court decision suspending a ruling by the Special Court against Corruption and Organised Crime (GJKKO) concerning Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, saying it effectively blocks investigations into cabinet members.

“After the Constitutional Court’s decision, any possibility for anticorruption bodies to look into ministers is absolutely closed,” Berisha said, calling the ruling wrong and damaging to the rule of law.

He said the decision had emboldened Prime Minister Edi Rama and added that public opposition would continue through a protest scheduled for December 22.

Berisha also said he had left a written note at SPAK, reiterating his belief that justice would eventually rule on what he described as unlawful actions by senior justice officials.

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Speaking in a television interview, Tarran said decisions on the matter rest solely with the competent judicial institutions.

Balluku was suspended by the Special Court for Corruption and Organised Crime, and the government has since asked the Constitutional Court to review the decision. Tarran said the matter now lies entirely with the competent judicial bodies.

“I am a diplomat and I will respond diplomatically – that won’t surprise you,” Tarran added. “I will only say that the Prime Minister has addressed it to the Constitutional Court. We must wait for its decision. It is a new situation and we need to see how it develops. It is not within my mandate to address this issue, so I will not comment beyond that.”

Asked whether this was the first such case in Europe, Tarran said that, to his knowledge, it was.

“As far as I know, yes. I have never heard of a similar case in the countries where I have lived and worked,” he said.

Commenting more broadly on corruption in Albania, the OSCE ambassador said there is broad consensus that it remains the country’s main challenge and a major obstacle to European Union membership.

“Albania will not become a member of the European Union unless it resolves – perhaps not all, but a large part – of the corruption problem that exists at different levels in the country,” Tarran said. “Corruption exists everywhere, not only here, but in Albania it exists on a particular scale. The corruption situation is worrying at every level,” he added.

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In a statement shared through his lawyers on social media, Veliaj said the ruling was not about his personal mandate but “about returning it to those to whom it belongs – the people of Tirana.”

“This is not a decision about one man, but about Albanian democracy, the free vote, and every citizen who believes that power derives from and belongs to the people,” Veliaj said. “Justice may delay, but it does not forget.”

The court overturned a Council of Ministers’ decision removing Veliaj from office, calling it incompatible with the constitution.

Veliaj, a member of the ruling Socialist Party and mayor since 2015, has been held in pre-trial detention since February 10 after the Special Anti-Corruption Court ordered his arrest at the request of the Special Prosecution Office (SPAK).

He faces nine counts of passive corruption and is also accused of money laundering, failure to declare assets, abuse of office, and bringing prohibited items into a detention facility.

Veliaj thanked Tirana residents for their support and said he would do everything possible to ensure work in the city continues despite his legal situation.

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In a statement posted on social media, Rama said the ruling demonstrated that “I do not control all powers,” and suggested that the same legal principles should apply when assessing Veliaj’s pre-trial detention.

The government head stressed that prolonged imprisonment of the mayor would not only affect his constitutional rights but also the citizens’ constitutional right to be served by their elected official.

He called on those able to help resolve the “absurd deadlock” to act, emphasizing that the situation should not harm the city’s governance.

The Constitutional Court decision follows a series of legal challenges regarding Veliaj’s term and possible detention in connection with ongoing proceedings.

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In a press statement, Berisha claimed the court decision was “legally unfounded,” describing it an “electoral pill for the desperate Edi Rama.”

“It is a failed attempt by the crime organization, called ‘the party’s SPAK, to excuse their deeds and, in this context, it is the freshest evidence showing Edi Rama’s full control over SPAK that enforces his political orders,” Berisha said.

Berisha stated that he will respect the court decision, because it is the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights that would now decide over the case.

Special Appeal Court decided that Berisha should report to authorities twice a month, rejecting a request by the Special Prosecution Structure (SPAK) to reinstate a previous house arrest ruling.

Former prime minister and opposition leader Berisha had been under house arrest for nearly a year, accused of passive corruption linked to the controversial privatization of the Partizani sports complex.

Prosecutors accuse Berisha of using his position as former government head to push through legislation benefiting five families, including his son-in-law, Jamarbër Malltezi.

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In a response to a statement by the United States Embassy and the European Union Delegation to Albania regarding yesterday’s vote in parliament regarding the mandate of MP Olta Xhaçka, Speaker Spiropali said she has prioritized the matter, urging the Assembly to adhere and enforce the remaining Constitutional Court rulings.

“I fully agree that enforcement of the Constitutional Court rulings by Parliament is essential matter as it is related to the institutional checks and balances in the country’s democratic system,” Speaker Spiropali said in her statement.

“This is the reason why I emphasized in my opening remarks at the new parliamentary session last week that adherence to the remaining Constitutional Court decision is a priority. Yesterday’s vote showed that the Constitutional Court ruling a year and a half ago and the most recent one in July 2024 need to be clarified,” Spiropali stated.

Speaker Spiropali added that it was precisely for the need to ultimately clarify the matter that she had decided to refer the issue to the Venice Commission and seek the Venice Commission’s guidance on the standards applicable to legislative decisions and the relevant constitutional principles.

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“Today’s Appeals Court ruling comes as a good omen for Democrats, who are going through a tough period for more than a year now. This is the day when we the Democrats should be united more than ever before to face Edi Rama’s regime and put aside disputes caused by the old mentality of the Albanian politics,” Alibeaj said via a post on the social media.

Alibeaj invited Democrats to forget grievances and unite for the May 14 local elections.

Earlier today, the Court of Appeals accepted Enklejd Alibeaj’s request and ruled the retrial in the long leadership battle case within the main opposition Democratic Party.

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