The Constitutional Court in Tirana closed the judicial investigation regarding the issue of Butrint National Park and postponed the decision until November 30.
The Court announced that until that date, interested parties can submit additional materials with assessments from UNESCO on this issue.
A group of 36 deputies had asked the Constitutional Court to declare unconstitutional the law on the administration of Butrint National Park, based on an agreement between the Ministry of Culture and the Butrint Management Foundation.
The Constitutional Court continued the examination of the request from a group of opposition deputies to annul the law on the administration of Butrint National Park as unconstitutional.
The court received three requests: for additional clarification of the object under consideration, postponement of the decision, and the removal of three judges from the judicial body.
The court rejected the last request, closed the judicial investigation, and postponed the decision until November 30.
Agron Alibali, the lawyer representing the opposition group of deputies, told Voice of America that the Albanian state has clearly demonstrated that it possesses the full capacity to manage Butrint on its own.
“This model of control, management, and possession by a private foundation of Butrint National Park is unprecedented in the world and is in conflict with the UNESCO Convention in Paris, ratified by 195 UN member states,” said Alibali.
He emphasized that, in addition to constitutional violations, UNESCO’s assessment of the Butrint Park issue is crucial, and precisely these days, one of its forums is taking place.
“Contrary to what is thought, that we are only dealing with the administration of property in a new hybrid sense, this is not just in the sense of the Albanian language’s care, concern for a heritage, and others. Here, in fact, we are dealing with possession, control, utilization, and presentation. So, these are all functions that belong to the state party, which must have a leading role, according to Article 4 of the Paris Convention,” said Alibali.
In the court session, there were representatives from the Ombudsman and the High State Control, who left the decision on the new requests to the court’s discretion.
In addition to the opposition seekers, representatives from the Assembly, the Government, and the Butrint Management Foundation were present at the session.
They expressed that the process seekers were coming up with a series of new requests, with a delaying strategy, to cause the postponement and dragging of this sensitive issue.
The project manager of Butrint at the Albanian-American Development Foundation (AADF), Ilir Parangoni, told Voice of America that this foundation is awaiting the decision of the Constitutional Court and respects its decision on the Butrint issue.
He emphasized that AADF is supporting the Ministry of Culture in its efforts to create new management models for cultural sites, historical centers, archaeological parks, as well as museums, where the main beneficiary is the local community.
“AADF has helped in this context with funds, with grants from the Ministry of Culture regarding historical centers, such as the Korça Bazaar, the New Bazaar of Tirana, the Gjirokastra Bazaar, as well as many other historical and archaeological centers. Also, for Butrint. It is the same model that will be applied in the proper management of the archaeological cultural heritage of Butrint,” said Parangoni.
He detailed that the Butrint Management Foundation has not yet taken over the cultural site of Butrint as the issue is still pending in the Constitutional Court.
Parangoni added that the management of Butrint faces new challenges such as the large number of visitors, climate changes, being near the sea.
“AADF neither takes nor gives on concession cultural assets that are under the Albanian state, administered by the Albanian state. All the revenues generated in Butrint will stay in Butrint, to be invested in Butrint without taking even a penny afterward,” said Parangoni.
The law on the agreement between the Ministry of Culture and the Butrint Management Foundation was approved by the Assembly 18 months ago amid heated debates in the Assembly, while the Constitutional Court registered the request of opposition deputies a year ago, and several sessions have been held in January, February, July, October, and in November.
The law caused protests and heated debates from civil society and opposition deputies, who suspect illegal and unconstitutional exploitation of a large property of the country, which may be damaged by private management of this form.
The Government believes that this law is an important step for the proper management of the Park. The Ministry of Culture and AADF established the Butrint National Park Management Foundation for a 10-year term, with the right to renew.
The agreement foresees the fulfillment of UNESCO standards for the protection, conservation, and preservation of the park, as well as an investment of an additional 5 million dollars from the Albanian-American Development Foundation.
