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Tirana Times (20 August 2019)

In an interview for RTV21 on Sunday, Albanian President Ilir Meta said the political crisis the country is facing contributes to the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, although, in his opinion, the country should not be part of that dialogue at all. 

“This artificial crisis in which Albania finds itself and which the Albanian people don’t deserve, without a doubt is in my opinion related to developments in Kosovo, with the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue,” Meta said. 

Meta said the deadlock in Albania is in fact the result of certain individuals’ games who create scenarios that do not serve Albania’s stability and European path, but seek violent conflict. 

According to Meta, his motivation to cancel June 30 as the local elections date came from the big tension between the government and the opposition, and both sides’ lack of intent to engage in dialogue. 

“This crisis is so artificial in my opinion and it is obvious there is interest for Albania to look bad. When Albania looks bad, this doesn’t help Kosovo, or Albanians in general as a factor that can rightfully impose its rights and legitimate requests. Because they seek to show that we Albanians have a very hard time to create a state,” Meta said.

He further spoke about the justice reform and its difference with what he calls the “Ramaform,” as per Prime Minister Edi Rama’s name. According to Meta, the justice reform was supposed to be a necessary reform that would serve the Albanian constitution, but which in its application has blocked the entire justice system.

“The truth is that the Council for Justice Appointments (KED) was arbitrarily blocked for more than two years, both in 2017 and in 2018, because our prime minister did not like the very transparent lot, drawn in accordance with the KED law, which selects candidates for the Constitutional Court vacancies and for the High Justice Inspector,” Meta said.

Meta said that if deadlines had been respected, Albania would now have a functioning Constitutional Court.

“Not to mention then all the developments you know, with the election of the temporary Prosecutor General, who was elected with 69 votes out of the 84 votes needed, which was the way the Albanian Constitution has very clearly selected. So a law was passed to stand over the Constitution. Whoever follows developments knows that first comes the Constitution and then come the laws,” Meta concluded. 

http://www.tiranatimes.com/?p=142906