Ruling Socialist Party uses its majority in parliament to vote down a prosecution request to lift former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku’s immunity, allowing for her arrest.
Belinda Balluku, Albania’s former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy. Photo: EPA/ALI HAIDER.
Ruling Socialist Party MPs on Wednesday voted not to lift the immunity of dismissed former Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, as requested by the Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Crime, SPAK, to allow for her arrest.
The Socialist Party has a large majority in parliament, so the outcome of the vote was never in doubt. Of 128 MPs present at the session, 82 voted against the SPAK request and 47 opposition MPs voted in favour.
SPAK charged Balluku with interfering with public procurement infrastructure procedures in seven road construction cases in October last year. She denies wrongdoing.
Socialist Party MP Ulsi Manja, a former Minister of Justice, told parliament on Monday that it should reject the request to lift Balluku’s immunity because she is only accused of favouritism in the awarding of tenders, not of the graver charge of corruption. “There are no charges for obstruction of justice,” Manja also pointed out.
While the vote was taking place in parliament, opposition Democratic Party supporters protested outside. Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha said that Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama was “using the laws and the constitution for his own interest, and is closing the doors of the European Union to Albania”.
In November last year, SPAK requested Balluku’s suspension from duty, and in December called for her immunity to be lifted to allow for her arrest. Her suspension from duty was challenged by Rama’s government before the Constitutional Court, which returned her temporarily to duty – but decided to definitely dismiss her in February.
Rama has been consistently vocal in his support for Balluku. After the Constitutional Court decided to dismiss her, his party proposed a law that would grant immunity to ministers and other top officials from suspension by the court.
