Prosecutor Adnan Xholi seemed relieved at the end of his presentation to members of the High Prosecutorial Council on Thursday, even though the race for the head of SPAK did not produce him as the winner.
"Thank God the day came to close this procedure, because it became like an urban legend," said Xholi.
Since Thursday morning, everyone has turned their attention to the High Prosecutorial Council to learn who the new head of the Special Prosecution Office would be - an institution with only six years of existence, but which has stirred the waters of the Albanian establishment.
The large presence of the diplomatic corps and journalists spoke of the importance of the event.
Before the candidates' presentations had even begun, the European Union Ambassador, Silvio Gonzato, the United States Chargé d'Affaires, Nancy Vanhorn; the United Kingdom Ambassador, Nick Abbott, and the Netherlands Ambassador, Reinout Vos, were accommodated in the KLP meeting room.
Also in the hall were representatives of the diplomatic offices of Italy, France, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia and Romania. Dozens of journalists and cameramen also took care for more than six hours to report every detail of the progress of the process, the candidates' platforms or the questions and answers with the members of the KLP.
The four candidates in the race began their presentations in alphabetical order; first Adnan Xholi and then Doloreza Musabelliu, Elvin Gokaj and Klodian Braho. After presenting in detail their experience and platform for leading SPAK, they answered questions from some of the KLP members.
The questions were diverse, touching on organizational issues at SPAK to personal aspects of the candidates. The answers, on the other hand, were almost similar and did not differentiate any of the candidates.
The voting procedure was carried out differently than before and all members of the High Prosecutorial Council filled in the name of their preferred candidate on a ballot.
The Chairperson of the KLP, Mirela Bogdani, explained that this method is foreseen in the regulations and that the voting would be open. At the end, she read the will of each of the members, also announcing the result; Klodian Braho was declared the winner with 7 votes, Adnan Xholi received 3 votes and Elvin Gokaj 1 vote. The only female candidate in the race, Doloreza Musabelliu, did not manage to receive any votes.
Following the election of the new head of SPAK, the European Union Office in Tirana shared a message on Facebook in support of the process of electing the head of SPAK.
The post states that Gonzato and the ambassadors of EU member states were present at the High Prosecutorial Council to express their full support for the Council in fulfilling this important obligation and their interest in selecting the new head of SPAK.
“Given the fundamental role of SPAK in the fight against organized crime and corruption, an essential pillar of the EU accession process,” the post quoted. “Yesterday I emphasized that the new head of the Special Prosecution Office must demonstrate integrity, independence, stability and commitment to the highest European standards. Today, I would like to congratulate Mr. Klodian Braho on his appointment and look forward to working closely with him and his team in the months and years to come,” said Ambassador Gonzato.
