JURISPRUDENCE COURT/ The Constitutional Court decides: This issue is not for us, take it to the Constitutional Court!

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Decision revealed/ Constitutional Court: Why we overthrew the government for the dismissal of Erion Veliaj

2025-11-03 19:27:01Politikë SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Erion Veliaj

The Constitutional Court has decided today to accept Erion Veliaj's request, annulling the decision of the Council of Ministers to dismiss him from office, as well as the decree of the President of the Republic to set the date for the partial elections in the capital.

In the announced decision, the Court assessed that the Council of Ministers had not respected Veliaj's right to a fair legal process, as he was not notified and was not given the opportunity to be heard and defended during the dismissal procedure.

According to the Court, "due process requires the fulfillment of the individual's procedural guarantees," which are an obligation of public institutions and cannot be shifted to the individual.

The court also found that the decision of the Council of Ministers, based on Article 62 of the Law on Local Self-Government, was not fully reasoned and did not justify dismissal for “serious violation of the Constitution and laws”, as required by Article 115 of the Constitution.

For these reasons, by majority vote, the Constitutional Court repealed decision no. 539, dated 25.09.2025, of the Council of Ministers, considering it incompatible with the Constitution, repealed decree no. 350, dated 01.10.2025, of the President of the Republic, for the part that set the date of the partial elections for the Municipality of Tirana and continued the suspension of the effect of this decree until its decision enters into force.

In its reasoning, the Court emphasized that it has constitutional competence to review decisions to dismiss mayors, as bodies directly elected by citizens, in order to guarantee local autonomy and the right to be elected and to be elected.

The Constitutional Court's decision is final and binding, while its reasoned version is expected to be published within the legal deadlines.

Announcement of the Constitutional Court:

The Constitutional Court on 03.11.2025 considered the case with the applicant Erion Veliaj, with the aim of repealing the decision no. 539/2025 of the Council of Ministers on his dismissal from the office of Mayor of Tirana; repealing the decree no. 350/2025, of the President of the Republic on setting the date of the partial local elections for mayor, for the part that sets the date of the local elections in the Municipality of Tirana, as well as the suspension of the effects of this decree.

The Court initially assessed, unanimously, that it has jurisdiction to review the Council Decision No. 539/2025, since Article 115, point 2, of the Constitution has given it the competence to review the decision to dismiss the mayor as a directly elected body of local government. This competence was given to the Court in order to protect the principle of local autonomy and the right to elect and to be elected.

In terms of Article 115, point 1, of the Constitution, the dismissal from office of a directly elected body of a local government unit is a constitutional concept.

The Court also emphasized that in its jurisprudence to date, it has excluded from constitutional jurisdiction only the case of the end of the mandate of the mayor according to Articles 6/1 and 179/1 of the Constitution (the decriminalization process), while in all other cases of dismissal, as in the present case, it has accepted its jurisdiction to review appeals against decisions of the Council of Ministers on the dismissal from office of directly elected bodies of the local government unit. The Court reiterated that what the Constitution did not want to say, the law cannot say, because otherwise there is the possibility of limiting by law the constitutional guarantees of the elected body of local government, which, in essence, limits its own competence. The Court is the body that has the competence to control the decision of the Council of Ministers on the dismissal of the directly elected body, the basis of which in the Constitution and law is assessed only by this Court, which has the final say.

With regard to the applicant's claims, the Court examined them on the merits within the framework of the regular process related to the measure of dismissal, with the exception of the claim for the presumption of innocence which it ruled to dismiss. At this point, the Court considered it necessary to emphasize that the examination and assessment of the case concerns only the process of dismissal of the applicant from the office of Mayor of Tirana, and not the criminal proceedings registered against him.

In the circumstances when it accepted the Constitutional Council Decision No. 539/2025 into its constitutional jurisdiction, the Court, based on its jurisprudence, in relation to the right to due process, examines cases of dismissal of the elected local government body as a trial on the merits of the case, acting as a court of fact and law, analyzing the constitutionality and legality of the process and the act. Essentially, the Court examines whether the cause of dismissal constitutes a serious violation of the Constitution and the laws and whether the Council of Ministers has respected the procedures to fully motivate and justify the dismissal decision.

Gjykata vlerësoi se neni 62 i ligjit nr. 139/2015 është detajim i nenit 115, pika 1, të Kushtetutës. Kjo normë kushtetuese nuk i ka deleguar ligjvënësit të zakonshëm parashikimin e rasteve të tjera për shkarkim përveç atyre të përcaktuara prej saj, të cilat kanë të bëjnë me shkeljen e rëndë të Kushtetutës dhe të ligjeve. Në lidhje me këtë, tre gjyqtarë mbajtën qëndrimin se të gjitha parashikimet e shkronjave “a”, “b” dhe “c” të nenit 62 të ligjit nr. 139/2015 janë miratuar nga ligjvënësi në kuptim të delegimit kushtetues të nenit 115 të Kushtetutës.

Gjykata, me shumicë votash, vlerësoi se procedura e ndjekur në rastin konkret nga këshilli bashkiak dhe më tej nga Këshilli i Ministrave, duke mos e njoftuar kërkuesin, nuk ka garantuar të drejtën e tij për proces të rregullt në aspektet e së drejtës për t’u dëgjuar dhe për t’u mbrojtur.

Gjykata theksoi se procesi i rregullt kërkon përmbushjen e garancive procedurale të individit, të cilat përbëjnë detyrim të organeve publike që realizojnë procesin dhe në asnjë rast nuk mund të zhvendoset barra nga këto organe te individi. Në këtë kuptim, vetëm marrja dijeni për datën e mbledhjes së këshillit bashkiak nuk çliron organin publik për të garantuar të gjitha detyrimet si më sipër.

Po kështu, Gjykata, vlerësoi, me shumicë votash, se Këshilli i Ministrave, teksa vendosi shkarkimin e kërkuesit nga detyra sipas nenit 62, shkronja “c”, të ligjit nr. 139/2015, nuk e ka justifikuar shkarkimin me shkeljen e rëndë të Kushtetutës dhe të ligjeve, për të cilat ai mund të mbahet përgjegjës. Në këtë pikë, Gjykata theksoi se mbrojtja e interesit publik për të garantuar të drejtën e zgjedhësve për t’u qeverisur nga një organ i zgjedhur drejtpërdrejt nuk mund të justifikojë cenimin e garancive kushtetuese.

Për këto arsye, Gjykata, me shumicë votash, vlerësoi se kërkuesit i është cenuar e drejta për proces të rregullt e lidhur me masën e shkarkimit, prandaj vendosi shfuqizimin e VKM-së nr. 539/2025.

Në lidhje me dekretin e Presidentit të Republikës, Gjykata theksoi se për sa kohë kontrolli i shkarkimit nga detyra të organit të qeverisjes vendore sipas nenit 115, pika 2, të Kushtetutës i përket juridiksionit kushtetues, edhe kontrolli i akteve të pushtetit publik të nxjerra si rrjedhojë dhe për shkak të vendimit të shkarkimit dhe krijimit të vakancës, siç është dekreti i Presidentit të Republikës, i përkasin po ashtu juridiksionit kushtetues. Për rrjedhojë, Gjykata vlerëson se nuk ka nevojë të ndiqen rregullat për shterimin e mjeteve në gjykatën administrative, sipas nenit 131, pika 1, shkronja “f” të Kushtetutës.

Duke qenë se shfuqizoi VKM-në nr. 539/2025, me qëllim riparimin e pasojave që vijnë nga dekreti i Presidentit të Republikës për caktimin e datës së zgjedhjeve në Bashkinë Tiranë, në konsideratë të nenit 115, pika 3, të Kushtetutës, Gjykata vendosi të shfuqizojë edhe këtë dekret pasi është një akt i nxjerrë për plotësimin e vakancës të krijuar nga VKM-ja për shkarkimin nga detyra të kërkuesit.

At the conclusion of the examination of this case, for the above reasons, the Court decided, by majority vote:

Acceptance of the request.

Repeal of decision no. 539, dated 25.09.2025 of the Council of Ministers "On the dismissal from office of the Mayor of Tirana, Mr. Erion Veliaj", as incompatible with the Constitution of the Republic of Albania.

Repeal of the decree of the President of the Republic No. 350, dated 01.10.2025 “On setting the date of partial local elections for mayors, for some local government units” for the part that sets the date of local elections in the Municipality of Tirana, as incompatible with paragraphs 2 and 3 of article 115 of the Constitution.

Continuation of the measure of suspension of the decree of the President of the Republic No. 350, dated 01.10.2025 "On setting the date of partial local elections for mayors, for some local government units" for the part that sets the date of local elections in the Municipality of Tirana, until the entry into force of this decision.

The final decision will be announced with reasons within the legal deadlines provided for by Law No. 8577, dated 10.02.2000 “On the Organization and Functioning of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Albania”, as amended by the Regulation on Judicial Procedures of the Constitutional Court.


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