The Tirana Municipal Council has officially addressed the Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) and the General Directorate of Prisons, requesting permission for the physical participation of Mayor Erion Veliaj in meetings for the consultation and detailing of the draft budget of the Municipality of Tirana for 2026.
In the official request, the Municipal Council emphasizes that the participation of the mayor in this process constitutes a legal obligation, defined by the legislation on local self-government, as well as an essential element for guaranteeing institutional cooperation on issues of public interest.
According to the document, the request is based on Law No. 139/2015 “On Local Self-Government”, as amended, where Article 58, point 4, recognizes the mayor the right to participate in the meetings of the Municipal Council and to report, while Article 60 determines the mandatory cooperation between the mayor and the council on matters of public interest.
The Municipal Council also refers to Law No. 68/2017 “On Local Government Finances”, where Article 41 provides that the mayor of the local self-government unit prepares the annual draft budget and submits it to the Municipal Council for approval.
In this context, the Council requests that, if restrictive measures are being applied to Mayor Erion Veliaj, the possibility of temporarily allowing his physical participation in the consultations on the draft budget, on one of the dates 16–18 December 2025, be assessed.
The Municipal Council expresses its willingness to fully cooperate with SPAK and the Prison Directorate for any security, protocol or logistical request, in order to guarantee a legal, transparent and functional process, requesting an official response on the decision-making of the relevant institutions.
