FLASH
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The Socialist Party withdraws from the law on the Guard after criticism, while the proposed changes are suspected of favoring the appointment of Simon Zereci to head the institution without competition, despite his previous failure to be selected for this position.
The ruling majority seems to have disappointed Simon Zereci again. The Guardsman has been trying for months to be appointed head of the institution, but his attempts are failing one after another.
The Socialist Party withdrew today from the " Law on the Guard of the Republic ", a law that was 'tailored' specifically for Zereci. However, after the accusations, the SP has given up on it.
" This is a law that brings some changes to the organic law of the Guard of the Republic. It was a law that needed to be revised and updated, to clarify some norms and to avoid clashes with other legal acts. The law has been withdrawn at the request of the parliamentary group, as the discussions require a more detailed analysis to see the legal effects that the changes will bring ," said socialist MP Erion Mile.
After Ermal Onuz's departure, the then Interior Minister, Albana Koçiu, appointed Simon Zereci as interim director and then opened the competition for the new director, in accordance with Article 17 of the Law on the Guard of the Republic.
On January 29, 2026, the Ministry of Interior commission interviewed 8 candidates for director of the Guard, while their professional qualifications and skills were verified before the interview.
On February 4, 2026, Koçiu sent the following electronic notification to the candidates: " We inform you that, after completing the foreseen phases of verification and evaluation of candidacies for the position of Director of the Guard, the procedure has not been finalized with a winner ."
But the reason for the cancellation of this process was because Rama's confidant, Simon Zereci, failed to be elected director, as he did not meet the conditions. The minister did not reopen the competition and left Zereci in command. Meanwhile, in March, the Socialist Party sent to the Parliament the draft law to amend "Law no. 33/2021 on the Guard of the Republic of Albania".
But if you look at the law in detail, it was tailored in such a way that Simon Zereci could become a director with just one company.
To be more precise, in the law that was withdrawn today, it was proposed to amend paragraph 1 as follows: “ 1. The General Director of the Guard of the Republic is appointed by the Prime Minister upon the proposal of the minister and is given the rank of 'Major Director'. He is selected from among the Guard employees who hold the rank of 'First Director/Senior Director' .”
Meanwhile, the current law in this paragraph states: “ The Director General of the Republic Guard is appointed by the Prime Minister upon the proposal of the Minister and is given the rank of 'Major Director'. The Minister proposes to the Prime Minister the candidate for Director General of the Republic Guard after conducting an open competition process, based on the principles of equal opportunities, meritocracy and non-discrimination. The rules and procedures for the selection of the candidate for Director General of the Republic Guard are determined by instruction of the Minister ”.
So, through the new law, the competition was removed. This gives the Minister of Interior free rein to simply propose a name and then the Prime Minister signs it. But what clearly shows that this law was made for Simon is the part that the name must hold the rank of “First Director/Senior Director”. In the current law, there is no such criterion, while Zereci holds the rank of “Senior Director”.
The letter "d)" has also been repealed with the following content: " The candidate must have completed the second cycle of higher education in the field of law enforcement or security ."
Simon Zereci graduated from the "Skënderbej" military high school and then pursued higher studies at the Joint Officers' College. So, he does not have a "master's degree".
Another criterion was also introduced: “ Not having been previously dismissed from work for disciplinary reasons and not having been subject to measures for serious disciplinary violations within the last 3 years .” This change also suits Zereci, as years ago he had endless violations.
But why was all this done? This is because he has in-laws with the family of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Specifically, the sister of the head of the guard Simon Zereci is married to the son of Spiro Koleka. / Pamphlet
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