President of the Republic, Bajram Begaj, decreed Wednesday, November 9, 2025, as the date for holding early local elections in six municipalities, including Tirana.

In its press release, the Presidency also clarified the reasoning behind declaring early elections for the mayor of Tirana, despite the fact that former mayor Erion Veliaj had appealed his dismissal to the Constitutional Court.

According to President Begaj, appeals against dismissal due to absence from duty — such as Veliaj’s case — do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court, but under the Administrative Court. In the absence of such an appeal or a suspension ruling, the process cannot be halted, the Presidency emphasized.

The statement added that even in these cases, suspension of a dismissal decision may only be ordered by the Administrative Court.

“For reasons of high public interest, the Presidency clarifies that, regarding the vacancy in Tirana, the President reviewed the legality of the procedure followed and confirmed that the declaration of the vacancy was made at the conclusion of a verification process carried out by the Tirana Municipal Council and the Council of Ministers. The President does not assess the merits of the case but ensures institutional neutrality,” the statement read.

The Presidency further noted that under Albanian law, dismissal for “failure to appear at work for a continuous 3-month period” is a different legal basis than dismissal for “serious violations of the Constitution or laws”, which falls under Constitutional Court jurisdiction. Hence, Veliaj’s case can only be reviewed by the Administrative Court.

It was also underlined that the Council of Ministers’ dismissal decision (VKM no. 539, dated September 25, 2025) was already public with the accompanying legal explanations, and no appeal was filed within the required timeframe. The President’s constitutional deadline to announce elections is only 48 hours after being notified of a vacancy.

With the decree now issued, the Presidency stressed that legal remedies remain available for the parties involved to pursue their rights.

Background:

Erion Veliaj was dismissed from office for failing to appear at work for over three months. He has called the decision unlawful and filed to the Constitutional Court, arguing that his absence was due not to negligence, but to physical impossibility. Veliaj has been in pre-trial detention since February 10, 2025.