The Constitutional Court decided today to temporarily suspend the partial elections for the Municipality of Tirana, decreed by President Bajram Begaj to be held on November 9. The decision was made after the appeal of the arrested mayor, Erion Veliaj, regarding the legality of his dismissal was accepted for review.
Ervina Qendro, responsible for public relations at the Constitutional Court, informed the media that the court has set October 31 for the hearing with Veliaj, which will be public. As a result of this development, it has been decided to suspend President Begaj's decree.
The decree in question set November 9 as the date for by-elections for the other five municipalities of Vlora, Berat, Mat, Tepelena and Cërrik.
Institutional conflict and disagreement over competences
The President's decision to decree elections for Tirana has been opposed by the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party, which on Wednesday requested the initiation of the procedure for the dismissal of President Begaj, considering the decree unconstitutional.
The Presidency justified the act by stating that the Constitutional Court does not have the competence to review the decision of the Council of Ministers to dismiss Veliaj and that the latter's appeal should have been filed with the Administrative Court.
However, lawyers previously contacted by Citizens.al stated that the President has violated point 3 of Article 115 of the Constitution, which clearly states that:
"In the event of failure to exercise the right to appeal within 15 days, or in the event of the Constitutional Court upholding the decision, the President sets the date of the elections."
So, as long as the decision on dismissal has not been made final by the Constitutional Court, the decreeing of elections is premature.
Despite the temporary suspension, four candidates have been publicly presented to continue the leadership mandate of the Municipality of Tirana (2023-2027):
- Ogerta Manastirliu – Socialist Party.
- Florian Binaj – Independent, supported by the Democratic Party, Opportunity, Albania is Made.
- Arlind Qorri – Together Movement.
- Marko Dajti – Left Front.
Other names such as Edlira Çepani, Florian Haçkaj, and Ermal Hasimja have been publicly discussed in the media. But with current developments, Anuela Ristani seems to continue to serve as interim mayor.
If the Constitutional Court decides on October 31 to recognize Veliaj's dismissal, the elections for Tirana can be held on November 9, as provided for by the decree. Otherwise, the process will be postponed until a new presidential decision, with possible political and legal consequences for the institutions involved.
On September 23, 2025, the Tirana Municipal Council proposed dismissal Veliaj, with 50 votes in favor, after a session where he was not present due to his arrest. The decision was considered controversial, as the chairman did not have the opportunity to express himself.
A few days later, Veliaj appealed the case to the Constitutional Court, which automatically suspended the dismissal until a final decision.
The political case against Veliaj comes a month after SPAK sent his case to court, officially accusing him of building a corruption scheme with the main beneficiaries being his family circle and a select group of businessmen close to him.
As Citizens.al previously reported, SPAK's investigation primarily involved Veliaj's wife, Ajola Xoxa, who was traced to contracts, businesses, purchases, and construction with suspicious financing.
One of these cases was the project of a road specifically opened to add value to the construction of a palace owned by the Xoxa family, an investigation published on April 10 by Citizens.al.
Read also:
- Veliaj against the President: Is the Constitution being violated with the elections in Tirana?
- The Veliaj File: Investigations, Accusations and Facts
- "Custom" road to Xoxa's palace
He completed his master's studies in the department of Journalism and Communication Sciences at the University of Tirana. She has been reporting for more than four years in Citizens.al on issues of culture, urban development, feminism, etc. She is also a contributor to other local and foreign online media, and has worked in the editing of various materials. She is the author of the podcast "Pezull" on Citizens.al and is engaged as a coordinator of projects related to the empowerment of young journalists and migration issues.
