Minute-by-minute developments/ Meeting begins for Veliaj's dismissal, debates in the Municipal Council

Democratic councilors in the Tirana municipality, Genc Gjokutaj and Enriketa Papa, spoke in favor of dismissing Erion Veliaj, but according to them, he should have been heard first.

Gjokutaj explained that the Democrats are in favor of this proposal, but with different motives than the Socialists.

The lawyer added that Veliaj is a unique case where he is not allowed to come and speak, to present arguments at the municipal council meeting.

"From a legal point of view, it is not point c of article 62. Mr. Veliaj is not absent due to his own will, he is arrested and charged with a criminal offense. It does not affect his mandate. The public interest obliges us to make this opportunity.

Let's leave it to the Prime Minister, the architect of this parade, to choose according to the law and let Veliaj exercise his right, as he said, to fight with the court and not the council.

Let's look at the reasons he will use. It is a unique case that a mayor is in these conditions. I want to point out that you will try to relativize Veliaj's position. The respect for the mayor is so great that you did not accept him to come and speak. It is on behalf of the acting mayor and not Veliaj. Our vote against is in line with yours but differs radically in content.

"You vote for a political game, to finish things with the Tirana municipality. Our vote against is for another new municipality. Our vote for the proposal has nothing in common with your vote ," said Gjokutaj.

Meanwhile, councilor Enriketa Papa stated that the secretary of the Municipal Council cannot speak on behalf of the councilors, referring to the written replies he has made, where despite the fact that Veliaj's participation was not put to the vote, the secretary told him to send his claims in writing.

Even if not physically, the Pope said that Veliaj should be heard even online, while he asked the socialist advisors why they are afraid of Veliaj's words.

"It 's not a game that doesn't work, the secretary shouldn't speak on behalf of the council, we haven't been asked, we haven't met, there have been several requests to convene the presidency since the news came out that the council meeting would be held. Today is the famous Sunday, it's the opportunity online to listen to the mayor, to set the precedent to listen to him. Why are we afraid? We have all the possibilities ," said the Pope.

The Democratic Party has relieved Edi Rama of his worries about whether or not he will secure the votes to dismiss Erion Veliaj. The Tirana City Council has not yet started discussions on his dismissal, and despite the accusations, the DP councilors have a priori agreed that the decision should be put to a vote.

Ilda Zhulali, Genci Gjokutaj, Dorian Teliti and others have expressed that the dismissal should have been made earlier.

" The decision you brought today is late and incomplete. It is incomplete because Veliaj should be dismissed for violating the law, for the incinerator; a work that was never built ," said Zhulali.

" I will vote for it with both hands. My vote is in favor ," said Dorian Teliti.

Endri Shabani from Nisma Thurje and Mirela Ruko from Lëvizja Bashke were also in the same line.

But if we look at the numbers in the council, lining them up against Veliaj helps Rama achieve his goal. The Socialist Party has 34 members in the council, and three of them did not participate. One vote against is enough, and Veliaj is not dismissed, if the opposition members had boycotted the vote.

'Together Movement' advisor Mirela Ruko said she is in favor of dismissing Erion Veliaj.

During her speech at the Municipal Council, she accused the Municipal Councilors of being collaborators of Erion Veliaj.

Ruko also stated that Prime Minister Edi Rama should also be held responsible, as he, according to her, gives orders and tells the Municipal Council how to act.

"In fact, the acting president has something to say, he should be brought to justice and speak for his associates. This would be his only good for Tirana. What I want to add for this meeting is that I am in favor of dismissing Veliaj, I have requested it from the beginning since he was accused, what surprises me is why there is no discussion in this meeting regarding the SP councilors who have supported Veliaj for every proposal he has made in this council. It was the notary who supported everything.

From this position that the citizens of Tirana have trusted me with, I want to let you know that this is one of those exemplary meetings of the municipal council where the councilors speak, they are not interrupted, where there is media in the meeting. I think that the citizens of Tirana pay in vain for the municipal council while this is not discussed here and the issues of the councilors are not brought to the fore. The one who should be held responsible is also Prime Minister Edi Rama since he has extended his power to you, asking you what you should do and think, so why doesn't he also hold responsible for a mayor accused of corruption , "said Ruko.

Until yesterday, he was behind him and even praised him, but now that Veliaj is in prison, for Luan Bregas, his dismissal is something normal.

At the Municipal Council meeting, Bregasi stated that they have no intention of putting Veliaj on trial, attempting to wash their hands of the matter.

" It should be considered a normal meeting, an agenda, it should not be thought that a trial is taking place. The trial of Erion Veliaj will be conducted by the judicial institutions. This act that we are doing today is normal in the sense of a report that a mayor has with a municipal council. It is a legal report. The opposition may have the right that the opportunity has come now, you can do it, but we are not putting Erion Veliaj on trial. For this reason, we are doing this because we believe in the justice institutions. 3 months ago we did not agree because we would not understand what Erion Veliaj's progress and the progress of the municipality's affairs would be ," said Luan Bregasi.

Democratic Party Councilor Ilda Zhulali spoke at the Tirana Municipal Council meeting where the dismissal of Erion Veliaj is being discussed.

Zhulali said that the Socialist Party did not allow him to participate in the meeting, while he leveled accusations against the mayor. Meanwhile, the chairwoman of the Council, Megi Fino, interrupted his speech, saying that it was outside the scope and the draft decision in question.

"Veliaj is alive, he is not here because you did not allow him and it should be as if you are preparing a funeral ceremony for him. You denied it, I am pleased that today he got to taste the dish he has cooked over the years, this dish that you cooked for him today, let Veliaj try it from the cell where he is and if he follows us we salute him. The decision you have made is delayed and incomplete. Veliaj should have been dismissed from office in 2023, when he unjustly took office. Veliaj should have been dismissed for serious violations of the law, violating the law on the incinerator, a work that was never built for which we paid hundreds of millions of euros. Veliaj should have been dismissed because of the 5D affair, a black file of corruption and a fraud formula built by Veliaj and the directors", said Zhulali.

Gazment Paja, Aldo Merkoci, Joleza Koka are the 3 socialist advisors not present at the meeting for Erion Veliaj's dismissal.

Also absent from the meeting is the Commander-in-Chief, Anuela Ristani.

Erion Veliaj himself is not present at this meeting to present his arguments and be heard by the council, as he requested.

The meeting was opened by the President of the Municipal Council, Megi Fino, who said that the decision to dismiss Erion Veliaj is imposed by the necessity of the situation created after the arrest of the mayor.

Pasditen e sotme po mbahet mbledhja e Këshillit bashkiak të Tiranës për shkarkimin e Erion Veliajt nga posti i kryebashkiakut.

Mbledhjen e hapi drejtuesja e Këshillit Bashkiak, Megi Fino, e cila justifikoi shkarkimin e Veliajt.

Fino tha se shkarkimi i Veliajt nuk është një pranim i akuzave ndaj tij.

“Jemi të gjithë dëshmitarë të transferimit që ka njohur kryeqyteti nën drejtimin e Erion Veliajt. Por lind nevoja për drejtimin e Tiranës."-tha Fino në nisje të fjalës së saj.

“Mbledhja e sotme nuk është një mbledhje e zakonshme, dhe nuk është as gjyq për kryebashkiakun Erion Veliaj, që mbahet i mbyllur në paraburgim prej 7 muajsh ndërkohë që Tirana mbetur pa të zgjedhurin e saj. Për ne ka qenë privilegj, dhe përgjegjësi të punojmë nga afër me Erion Veliajn dhe deri në provë të kundërt ai sot është një i pafajshëm

Sot është dita për të marrë një vendim të domosdoshëm për Tiranën dhe qytarët e saj. Dua të nënvizoj se ky hap i imponuar nga nevoja urgjente nuk është pranim i akuzave të ngritura

Sot çlirojmë tiranën nga ndalimi i një ngërci pa gjyq.”-u shpreh kryetarja e Keshillit Bashkiak.

The meeting for the political "liquidation" of Veliaj begins...

The Tirana Municipal Council has begun a meeting to consider the dismissal of Erion Veliaj as mayor.

This act comes after the ultimatum that Edi Rama gave to left-wing councilors on September 11. The SP leader demanded that they vote to dismiss Veliaj and pave the way for new elections in the capital.

After this ultimatum, they gathered last week at the SP headquarters, where they discussed how to proceed. The councilors clearly received the message that whoever does not sign his resignation will leave, and for this reason they all signed. Meanwhile, today in the Laws Committee of the Council, the request was formalized.

It was Mayor Megi Fino who announced that there was only one agenda, that of electing the mayor. She justified the meeting with the argument that citizens cannot be left without representatives.  

" Today's meeting is not an ordinary meeting, and it is not a trial for Mayor Erion Veliaj, who has been held in detention for 7 months while Tirana has been left without its elected representative. It has been a privilege and a responsibility for us to work closely with Erion Veliaj, and until proven otherwise, he is today an innocent man."

"Today is the day to make a necessary decision for Tirana and its citizens. I want to emphasize that this step imposed by urgent need is not an admission of the charges raised. Today we free Tirana from the confinement of a deadlock without a trial ," said Fino.

Veliaj himself has requested to be present. Initially, he was asked to send his opposition in writing. Meanwhile, the Secretariat of the Municipal Council has reacted a little while ago, indicating that there is no obstacle for Veliaj to be present. It is learned that the latter was sent a letter informing him about this part. But the scandal is that he was informed shortly before the meeting and it is known that he is in prison and cannot be present at all. 

The main argument that will be used for his dismissal is Article 62, point c of the Local Government Law, which provides for dismissal for failure to appear for duty for an uninterrupted period of three months.

But it seems that this decision will open a new Rama-Veliaj war. Sources from the acting mayor's legal team say that they will turn to the Constitutional Court in the event of dismissal.

Their arguments focus on the fact that Veliaj cannot be dismissed as long as there is no final decision against him and as long as he has not been arrested in flagrante delicto committing a crime on duty. The moment an appeal is filed, the decision is suspended.

Until the Constitutional Court makes a decision, the government's decision is suspended and there is no choice. So Rama's plan falls through.