Denada Jushi
After 3 and a half years of stalemate, Albania soon hopes to have a new name for the People's Advocate.
A month ago, the Laws Committee again announced the vacancy for the position of Ombudsman, three and a half years after the end of the mandate of the current Ombudsman, Ms. Erinda Ballanca, in May 2022. The decision was approved only with the votes of socialist deputies, while opposition members boycotted the vote, arguing that the vacancy had already been announced during the previous legislature and there was no need to repeat it.
The head of the Commission, Ulsi Manja, rejected this argument, emphasizing that some deputies of that legislature are no longer part of the Assembly, which makes the previous procedure invalid. On the other hand, the opposition recalled that its candidate, Besim Ndregjoni, met all legal criteria and accused the majority of deliberate political obstruction.
The majority emphasized that the process should be conducted again in a transparent manner and with several candidacies, recalling that 84 votes are needed to elect the Ombudsman.
In May 2022, the successor to Erinda Ballance, who was elected in 2017 and has been in overtime for 42 months, should have been elected.
The initial agreement for the Ombudsman was made in the well-known Basha-Rama agreement in 2017, for a 5-year mandate, ending in 2022. But, unable to find a successor, Erinda Ballanca continues to perform the duty while awaiting a replacement.
A political "ping-pong" has been going on for 3 years with this post, yet to yield any results, indicating a disregard for politics towards this key position, whose only power is recommendations.
Meanwhile, after the selection process was reopened, 23 candidates have applied for this position, including politicians, activists, and figures from the justice system.
Among them can be mentioned:
- Adriana Castle
- Aranita Brahaj
- Anton Koster
- Anton Lleshaj
- Besim Mendregioni
- Dardan Mustafaj
- Endri Papajorgji
- Endrit Shabani
- Mountain Fate
- Tafa bag
- Gerti Shella
- Ismail Tafani
- Jola Hysa
- Juliana Hoxha
- Laureta Roshi
- Lulzim Hamitaj
- Myrteza Myftari
- Saimir Vishay
- Excellency Sulo
- Suela Koçibellinj,
- Basic tartare
- Valentina Teodorescu
- Skender Haluci
A tradition has been established that the candidacy of the People's Advocate is selected from the opposition's proposals.
In June 2023, the process failed due to disagreements between the SP and the DP. Prime Minister Rama then refused to vote for the DP candidate, Ledio Braho, arguing that “a party lawyer would not be voted for,” while the opposition opposed the voting of Ardian Dvorani as a constitutional judge.
Likewise, the process was reopened in January of this year, where the seven candidates who had passed the Laws Committee's filter and secured the supporting signatures of MPs would be in the running to receive the necessary 84 votes in the plenary session.
The candidates were Vitore Tusha, Bledar Dervishaj, Tartar Bazaj, Besim Ndregjoni, Dardan Mustafaj, Edison Frangu and Erald Aga. All were proposed by the opposition, while the election of one of them required the support of socialist deputies. This process also failed.
ACQJ contacted one of the candidates running, Suela Koçibellinj, known for her active role in child protection, an apolitical name that comes from civil society.
She says she sees this institution as playing a fundamental role in protecting the rights and freedoms of every citizen, in the face of abusive actions, disregard, or lack of responsibility on the part of public institutions.
While the opposition has expressed its desire to vote on Besim Ndregjoni's name, the majority has not yet expressed support for one of the 23 candidates offered.
The Ombudsman in Albania is tasked with helping to improve transparency and accountability in public administration. This role should be extremely important, but often the recommendations of the Ombudsman, the only instrument of power he exercises, remain on paper. /acqj.al
