The Constitutional Court is once again facing a rotation of its members, as two new vacancies, one announced by the Assembly and one by the President, require filling. Among the qualified names in both competitions, that of the former president of the High Judicial Council, Naureda Llagami, stands out again.
For Llagami, this path towards the highest institution interpreting the Constitution is not unknown, but a return to the same threshold where a year ago the process was accompanied by strong political and institutional backstage.
Last year, during the voting held at the Meeting of the Judges of the Supreme Court for the vacant seat on the Constitutional Court, the race between Naureda Llagami and Judge Asim Vokshi was decided in the final limits. Vokshi managed to get the necessary support, while Llagami was left out by only one vote difference, which turned out to be invalid during the counting. After the tie, they faced each other in court and Vokshi won.
That race was not only remembered for its closeness or the feverish lobbying efforts of interest groups surrounding judicial reform. It was marked by one of the most unconventional developments in the history of judicial selections in the country.
During the time when the competition was at its peak, the State Intelligence Service, headed by Vlora Hyseni, forwarded an information letter in which Llagami's rival, Asim Vokshi, was subject to a shadow of suspicion regarding foreign contacts or influences, labeling him in certain lines as a figure with connections or interest to Serbian services.
However, the SHISH document failed to change the course of the vote in the Supreme Court. To this day, it remains unconfirmed whether that SHISH document was drafted or used at the request or order of Llagam himself. But from the point of view of interest analysis, the direct beneficiary of a disqualification or blow to Vokshi's figure would have been only her.
Today, Asim Vokshi holds the mantle of member of the Constitutional Court and waits to see who will sit by his side to complete the team. Vlora Hyseni is under arrest, while Naureda Llagami is facing a double challenge:
Technical phase (KED): She must achieve a ranking among the three names with the most points from the Judicial Appointments Council for both vacancies.
Political phase (Assembly / President): If she passes the KED filter, Llagami will have to convince political decision-makers or the head of state to give her final confidence.
From failure with an invalid vote to silent clashes with confidential service documents, the return of the former head of the KLGJ to the door of the Constitutional Court shows that the battles for control and composition of the justice pyramid remain as fierce as on day one.
