By Desada Metaj
After today's Socialist Assembly, it seems clear that some of the country's municipalities will head towards local elections. Considering that Tirana is also the capital of Albania, Edi Rama has decided to keep the structures politically engaged with a new political competition that includes more than half of the SP membership.
Let's take them in order: The municipalities of Vlora, Tirana, Cerrik, Berat, Mat, and Tepelenë are those that are participating in local by-elections. This means a commitment from the majority of the SP party administration.
The Electoral Code provides that:
"General elections for the Assembly or for local government units are held simultaneously throughout the country within the period extending from April 15 to May 15 or from October 15 to November 15."
It is not yet known what the deadline is, but Edi Rama will likely choose something as soon as possible. Which means that the partial elections for 6 municipalities should be organized from October 15 to November 15.
The procedure requires the Council of Ministers to ascertain the vacancy in these municipalities and officially notify the President, who will decree the election day.
Meanwhile, the CEC must fill the Regulatory Commission with members. The mandate of the existing members has ended and the new members must be elected within September, so that they have time to approve the regulatory acts for the upcoming elections.
But beyond this well-known administrative procedure, there is another political-legal act that Edi Rama must resolve: who will dismiss Erion Velina?
According to the law, the Municipal Council can only propose dismissal. The decision to dismiss or not is made by Rama. He can also reject the proposal of the Municipal Council. Even though today he suggested it live from the assembly of the elected socialists of Tirana.
The law clearly defines it - it is the competence of the Council of Ministers to dismiss Veliaj, just as it is the competence of the Council of Ministers to determine vacancies (not just for Tirana).
In Veliaj's case, the Council of Ministers must even be activated twice:
– once to download
– once again to inform the President that a job vacancy for mayor of Tirana had been opened.
Edi Rama certainly does not feel comfortable making this decision. Especially after the "tears" he shed today in the Assembly for his former close associate. But the constitution has clearly determined that the political "death" of Erion Velia is signed by Edi Rama. Justice can judge him for criminal offenses or administrative violations. But the "seal" of Erion Velia's political dismissal will be put by Edi Rama at the end. Good or bad, the Prime Minister has to make a decision that cannot be hidden either by public crying in the Assembly or by political tricks that are no longer a surprise.
