Albanian lawmakers to investigate president for impeachment

Lawmakers in Albania have agreed to form an investigative committee to decide whether to impeach the country’s president

TIRANA, Albania -- Lawmakers in Albania agreed Friday to form an investigative committee to decide whether to impeach the country’s president, whom the governing Socialist Party accuses of violating the constitution by taking political sides in an election last month. The 140-seat Parliament voted 97-6 in favor of appointing a nine-member committee to investigate President Ilir Meta “for grave and flagrant violation of the constitution.” Socialist parliamentary group leader Taulant Balla said that Meta failed in his constitutional duty to guarantee national unity by siding with the opposition in the runup to the April 25 election. The Socialists won 74 of the seats in Parliament, enough to form a Cabinet without entering a coalition with other parties. During the election campaign, Meta accused Prime Minister Edi Rama of running a “kleptocratic regime” and concentrating all legislative, administrative and judiciary powers in his hands. The president also accused Rama’s government of bungling Albania’s pandemic response.