Prime Minister Edi Rama, in an interview for Kathimerini, was asked if he will announce new elections in Himarë after the imprisonment of the elected president, Fredi Beleri.
Rama said that we have to wait for Beleri’s trial and that elections may not take place until it is judged whether he is guilty or innocent.
“I’m not sure if you should take it because I’m not sure how it’s going to go yet. Yes, first of all, it is not us, it is not the government that calls the new elections in Albania, it is the President who calls them. Meanwhile, the way the process goes is this: according to our law, if an elected person doesn’t show up for the swearing-in for whatever reason – it’s not defined – so when he doesn’t show up to be sworn in within 90 days, it’s up to the government act by dismissing the person and placing a guardian in office until new elections are held, which are announced by the President. I have asked my lawyers to prepare an opinion and I don’t know what it will be, but I think this case is very specific. There is no precedent for this, when the law was drafted, no one thought of such a situation. My instinct or my first reaction is that, perhaps, we will have to wait for the trial, until he is proven guilty or innocent. However, this is not a legal opinion, it’s just my opinion on the fact that we don’t really have any precedent and then, it would open the way for many interpretations. I have to wait on the legal department, but that could go either way. This is also the right answer, we can follow one or the other direction, based on the argumentation of our legal department”, said Rama.
The Prime Minister emphasized that so far no one knows the full evidence of Beleri’s arrest, as according to him, it is an investigative secret.
“No one knows the full evidence except the prosecutors, who remain silent due to the secrecy of the investigation. When the full evidence appears in court, it will become known to all and then anyone can judge. I do not comment because I never comment on the work of these institutions of justice”, said the Prime Minister.
