The Court said parliament failed to follow proper procedures when, at the start of the new legislature in September, it restructured the system of parliamentary standing committees, increasing their number from eight to 11.

The decision followed a complaint by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) lawmakers, who argued the changes were adopted unilaterally.

In its reasoning, the Court said the use of a fast-track procedure to approve the amendments, without giving minority MPs prior access to the draft, exceeded parliament’s discretion and failed to strike a fair balance between parliamentary autonomy and representative democracy.

It added that both the convening of the plenary session and the expedited procedure undermined the principle of representative democracy, particularly the opposition’s ability to express its views, making the complaint well-founded.

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Speaking in parliament, Berisha said parliamentary debates and interpellations were being delayed in breach of constitutional and legal deadlines.

“For the first time over the decades of pluralism, the parliament is being used in an unconstitutional and undemocratic manner,” Berisha told lawmakers.

“Debates cannot be postponed- they have constitutional time limits. Interpellations are not subject to negotiation – they are bound by constitutional deadlines,” the opposition leader added.

He accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of turning parliament into a body that serves government interests, alleging that laws, rules and constitutional provisions were not being respected.

Berisha also said delays in holding debates, including on EU integration, were intentional and aimed at avoiding scrutiny of issues affecting the government and its officials.

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