Erion Veliaj’s decision to dismiss Anuela Ristani from her post has raised a series of questions about the future of Tirana’s governance.
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How can a mayor in pretrial detention continue to run the capital, and how will its administration move forward? After much discussion, Veliaj’s camp has taken a clear position: he intends to keep the reins of the municipality in his hands even while in isolation.
Plarent Ndreca, the mayor’s legal defense lawyer, told Top Channel that Ristani’s removal of authority does not leave local government without leadership. He stressed that all powers have automatically been returned to Erion Veliaj, who officially remains in charge.
“The Constitutional Court has ruled that Erion Veliaj is the lawful Mayor of Tirana and has suggested that his role also be assessed during the review of the security measure. Mr. Veliaj will exercise all his legal rights and insist that he be provided with the practical means to interact with the staff and administer the city. When the state recognizes him as mayor, it is essential that it give him a genuine opportunity to exercise his mandate,” the lawyer declared.
However, this position clashes with a difficult reality: is it possible to manage the country’s largest municipality from a prison cell? According to Veliaj’s team, the answer is yes. They insist that he will seek, by every possible means, the necessary channels to communicate with the administration and make decisions.
The issue has now moved into the realm of practical implementation. Inside the institution, a multitude of documents and decisions are awaiting the mayor’s signature. Lawyer Ndreca was at the municipal building today to identify the most critical issues and find solutions for how documents requiring his signature can be handled.
The claims focus on the state of cleanliness, water shortages, public services and the progress of investment projects. The defense considers these to be real concerns, which Top Channel is investigating with official sources and the institutions responsible.
“The mayor is deeply concerned about the way the city has been governed in his absence. Tirana is in worse condition in terms of cleanliness, has a more limited water supply and reduced services. Since his departure, not a single new school or kindergarten has been inaugurated, and the implementation of investments is at an alarming stage. Therefore, the issue is not simply that the delegated powers have been detached from the mayor’s leadership, but that the management of the capital as a whole has suffered a significant decline,” Ndreca added.
Politically, the situation has another dimension. The lawyer says that the decision concerning Ristani did not result from private conversations between Erion Veliaj and Edi Rama. According to him, the executive’s position constitutes recognition of the authority of the mayor elected by the citizens.
“The government has publicly stated that Erion Veliaj is the Mayor of Tirana and that the decisions are in his hands. I see no reason to regard the exercise of a legal power as a challenge to the Prime Minister. On the contrary, it seems to me a positive signal that there is now a clear institutional position on the identity of the mayor. As for personal contacts between Mr. Veliaj and the Prime Minister, there have been none,” the lawyer explained.
The Prime Minister has stressed that Veliaj is the head of the municipality and that the current circumstances are intolerable. At the same time, Veliaj himself, through his lawyers, has expressed his determination to continue his mandate.
The essential question remains how this will materialize in everyday life. If Erion Veliaj continues to be officially regarded as holding office, but the rules of pretrial detention block his freedom of communication and ability to sign documents, then the Municipality of Tirana will face a serious administrative deadlock.
The answer to this dilemma will determine the future of decision-making, who will assume responsibility for the signatures and how the capital will be administered going forward.
