DECISION/ Erjon Veliaj removes Anuela Ristani from office

Erjon Veliaj, Mayor of Tirana, has decided to dismiss Anuela Ristani from her post.

The information was confirmed to BalkanWeb by journalist Klodiana Lala.

DECISION:

Based on Article 8, paragraph 2, and Article 64 of Law No. 139/2015 “On Local Self-Government,” as amended, as well as Article 113 of Law No. 44/2015 “Code of Administrative Procedures of the Republic of Albania”;

taking into consideration that Order No. 366 (Protocol No. 7461), dated 14 February 2025, “On the Temporary Delegation of the Duties of the Mayor of Tirana,” was issued as a temporary organizational measure, with the aim of ensuring the continuity of the administration and services of the Municipality of Tirana under the circumstances created during that period;

taking into consideration that the mandate of the elected Mayor of Tirana has continued to be legally in force and has been recognized in two decisions of the Constitutional Court, while the latest decision of this Court has removed any uncertainty regarding the continuity of this mandate, its constitutional protection and the authority arising from it;

considering that the latest decision of the Constitutional Court constitutes a new and decisive circumstance for institutional relations within the Municipality of Tirana, requiring that any delegated authority be exercised in full compliance and coordination with the authority of the elected Mayor, whose mandate has been definitively confirmed from a constitutional standpoint;

considering that, due to its temporary and derivative nature, the delegation of powers may continue only for as long as it serves the purpose for which it was granted and is implemented in respect of the constitutional and legal authority of the delegating body, without becoming an independent source of powers detached from it;

having established that during the subsequent period, particularly following the latest decision of the Constitutional Court, there has been a gradual distancing in the exercise of the delegated powers from the constitutional and legal authority of the elected Mayor, manifested through a lack of institutional information and coordination, failure to implement court decisions, failure to implement and refusal to comply with the Mayor’s direct orders, as well as actions and omissions that have damaged the normal chain of responsibility and leadership of the Municipality;

having established that this situation culminated in the failure to recognize the authority of the elected Mayor to exercise the powers directly assigned to him by the Constitution and the law, creating a situation in which the delegation, instead of ensuring administrative continuity, has become an obstacle to the actual exercise of the mandate of the delegating body;

considering that these circumstances, taken as a whole and, in particular, the latest developments mentioned above, constitute a fundamental change in the institutional conditions on the basis of which the delegation was granted and render its continuation incompatible with the need for a clear chain of responsibility, the normal functioning of the administration and the effective exercise of the mandate of the elected Mayor;

with the aim of guaranteeing the legality, continuity, stability and regular functioning of the Municipality of Tirana, ensuring the uninterrupted provision of public services and protecting the interests of the citizens of Tirana,