On Tuesday, the Constitutional Court reviewed a complaint filed by the Democratic Party (DP) against amendments to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure that increased the number of permanent parliamentary committees from eight to eleven.
In its lawsuit, the DP claims that the changes to the functioning of Parliament were carried out unilaterally and through an expedited procedure. The opposition argues that this represents interference by the executive branch in the legislative branch, as the increase in the number of parliamentary committees stemmed from a direct request by Prime Minister Edi Rama during the Socialist Party’s National Assembly in September of last year, rather than from Parliament itself, which is an independent institution and self-regulating.
In its appeal, the Democratic Party further states that the entire procedure violated Parliament’s Rules of Procedure and the Constitution, and that opposition MPs were deprived of their right to express their positions.
The change in the number of permanent parliamentary committees—proposed and approved solely with the votes of the Socialists—led to the dissolution of the committee that had been established specifically to deal with Albania’s integration into the European Union. This committee had been created when the Socialists were in opposition and had always been chaired by the opposition, at times by the Socialist Party and at other times by the Democratic Party. It was subsequently merged into the Foreign Affairs Committee.
After examining the case on its merits and hearing the claims of both the Democratic Party and Parliament, the panel of judges of the Constitutional Court has withdrawn to deliberate.
In addition to the challenge to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, three other appeals filed by the Democrats are also pending review before the Constitutional Court. These concern the Minister of Artificial Intelligence “Diella,” the two investigative committees related to the McGonigal case, the May 11 elections, and the appointment of the Ombudsman.
