Letter/ Opposition Municipal Councilors Request Rama's Distancing from Tirana Municipality

2025-03-20 22:22:00, Politikë CNA

Letter/ Opposition Municipal Councilors Request Rama's Distancing from

The Chairman of the Opposition Municipal Councilors in the Municipality of Tirana, Ilir Alimehmeti, in a post on social networks, announced that a letter has been sent to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

The letter sent by the opposition municipal councilors requests Prime Minister Rama's distancing from the decision-making of the Municipality of Tirana.

The letter also asks all councilors of the Tirana Municipal Council to maintain independent positions and exercise their function in the service of the citizens.

“ The position of the Group of Opposition Municipal Councilors in the Municipality of Tirana

Address to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe

For the attention of the Secretary General, Mr. Mathieu Mori

Dear members of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe,

We, the group of opposition municipal councilors in the Municipality of Tirana, would like to inform you about an extremely worrying situation that is occurring in local government in Tirana and that contradicts the fundamental principles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government.

Following the court decision to arrest the Mayor of Tirana, Mr. Erion Veliaj, we have observed an unprecedented and illegal interference by the Prime Minister of Albania, Mr. Edi Rama, in the administrative affairs and decision-making of the Municipality of Tirana. Instead of the Municipal Council and local government institutions exercising their functions in accordance with the Constitution and the law, the municipality has been placed under the direct control of the central executive.

In this context, we note:

1. Infringement of local autonomy – Article 3 of the European Charter of Local Self-Government clearly states that local authorities must be free from unlawful interference by the central government. However, the Prime Minister’s actions demonstrate a political capture of local institutions.

2. Marginalization of the Municipal Council – Despite the fact that the Municipal Council is the highest representative body at the local level, it has been overlooked and its constitutional and legal role is not being exercised.

3. Political manipulation of the administration and public resources – There are clear signs that this illegal control over the Municipality of Tirana is being used for political and economic gain, including the issuance of construction permits in a dubious manner and the instrumentalization of the administration for the parliamentary elections of May 11, 2024.

For these reasons, we:

• We strongly condemn the Prime Minister's interventions in the administration of the Municipality of Tirana, which are contrary to democratic standards and the principles of good governance.

• We encourage justice institutions to continue investigations into every case of corruption and legal violation related to the municipality's administration.

• We demand an immediate distancing of the central government from decision-making in the Municipality of Tirana and the return of its autonomy to the legitimate bodies of local government.

• We call on municipal councilors of all political forces to maintain independent positions and exercise their functions in the interest of the citizens of Tirana.

Local autonomy and the rule of law are the foundation of a functioning democracy. We therefore call on the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe to examine this situation and take steps to protect democratic standards at the local level in Albania.

Respectfully, the Group of Opposition Municipal Councilors in the Municipality of Tirana ," the letter states./ CNA