Nevila Gjata
In the session on September 2, 2024, the Speaker of the Parliament, Elisa Spiropali, announced that Lulzim Basha, a PD MP, was no longer part of the delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
‘I inform you that a letter from the Parliamentary Group of the Democratic Party, with protocol number 3309, dated 2.9.2024, has been submitted to the Parliament, informing of several changes in the permanent international delegations, as follows: Ms. Albana Vokshi is appointed as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,’ Spiropali said on September 2.
Just three days later, Lulzim Basha, in an interview, stated that the Parliament could not decide on his replacement. ‘First of all, let me clarify once and for all; neither they, nor Edi Rama nor Elisa Spiropali have the mandate to make such a replacement. This will soon be officially communicated to them by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,’ Basha said.
Fact
At the end of September, Lulzim Basha officially attended the five-day sessions (September 30 – October 5) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe held in Strasbourg.
Lulzim Basha, the leader of the Euro-Atlantic Democratic Group, in Strasbourg
He held several meetings and gave a speech on behalf of the European People’s Party Group, addressing the challenges arising from the war in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The Assembly has five political groups, one of which is the European People’s Party Group (EPP/CD), where Basha is a member
Lulzim Basha’s speech was also officially published on the Council of Europe’s website as part of the Parliamentary Assembly session
Lulzim Basha’s speech published on the official website of the Council of Europe
Lulzim Basha is still a member of the delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly on the official website of the Council of Europe
The permanent delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe includes 4 permanent members and 4 substitute members. From the Democratic Party, the substitute members are Ferdinand Xhaferri and Jorida Tabaku
Lulzim Basha is also listed as part of the delegation on the official website of the Albanian Parliament
Screenshot from the official website of the Albanian Parliament regarding the composition of the parliamentary delegation to the Council of Europe
Assembly
On September 16, Lulzim Basha sent an official letter to the Parliament (a copy of which is also available to Faktoje.al), stating, among other things, that the Parliamentary Bureau of the Council of Europe had rejected the Parliament’s request, arguing that a replacement during the Assembly session was not possible without the request of the delegation member themselves.
Photo of the letter Basha officially sent to the Parliament
As a result, Basha requested that the Parliament take the necessary actions to ensure his participation in the late September plenary session
Faktoje.al officially addressed the Parliament with a request for information during the time Basha was attending the Council of Europe sessions, asking why it was him and not Albana Vokshi (even though she attended one afternoon of the sessions). The inquiry sought to clarify whether the Parliamentary Bureau had rejected the Parliament’s request for Basha’s replacement (as he claims), and if so, what the Parliament’s response was, what steps were taken for the replacement deputy Albana Vokshi, and who should represent the Democratic Party in the delegation at the Council of Europe?
Request for information sent to the Parliament
The response from the Parliament was not very exhausting, but it essentially stated that Lulzim Basha is still part of the delegation to the Council of Europe until the end of December.
‘After the announcement in the plenary session on September 2, 2024, about the change in the composition of the delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly, the Secretariat of the Assembly was contacted and informed
We have been informed that, according to the statutes and regulations of the Assembly, the credentials of the members of the Albanian Parliament delegation, as well as those of all other country delegations, were approved in January 2024 and are valid for the entire year, until December 31, 2024,’ reads the Parliament’s response.
In the picture: The Parliament’s response
Faktoje.al independently checked the procedural rules and statutes followed by the Council of Europe for accredited members. Our findings indicate that Lulzim Basha cannot be replaced during this one-year session (covering the period from January to January). The replacement process can only take place if a member resigns or passes away
Screenshot of the Council of Europe’s regulations regarding changes in delegation members
Conclusion
Following Lulzim Basha’s official participation in the Parliamentary Assembly session at the end of September, the verification of the delegation composition from both official websites (Council of Europe and Parliament), the Council of Europe’s regulations for accredited members, and the response from the legislative body, it is confirmed that Lulzim Basha’s statement regarding the impossibility of the Parliament replacing him is accurate. This applies at least until the end of December.
