The head of government, Edi Rama, stated that Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku has an issue with justice, and that he has not commented on this, but only on the standard and principle. In an interview with Rudina Xhunga on the podcast "Flasim", Rama stated that in this issue with justice, no one is defending him.
"In the case of Belinda Balluku, another thing that had nothing to do with her was very badly messed up. An absurd measure unprecedented in world history was used, the suspension of a minister from office. The prosecutor together with a judge joined in a room and decided to make the prime minister, the parliament and the president.
I did not challenge them, they challenged the Constitution of Albania, they challenged an independent power. We are not independent of the law, we must implement it, they are there independent of us. They are not independent to the point of deciding for us. The red line was crossed there, I was cynical in relation to the future.
In the case of Balluk, SPAK entered my territory as prime minister and our territory as a parliamentary majority and the territory of the president. Balluk has an issue with justice, on that issue I have not said anything, it is the same standard, I have not even spoken about the Beqaj issue for which I am waiting to see where the corruption is, I am waiting to see it, I have not seen it yet.
"I only spoke about issues of principle and standard, so she has an issue with justice there, neither do I, and no one is defending her, there she is defending herself as far as she is concerned," Rama said.
Asked about the perception that he protected Balluk while letting Erion Veliaj go, Rama said that in the mayor's case he had nothing in his hands.
"What does it mean that 'it was left'? Would we demonstrate? This is the perception of people who see things in a perverse way and who would do these things if they were in my place."
For the elected president to remain locked up in detention is an absurdity of the capital. Impossible to communicate. Tirana is an absurd example. There are only two similar cases, one in Hungary and one in Turkey. Strasbourg has dismissed both cases as violations of human rights.
For the elected mayor of the capital to remain locked up in detention and have no chance of replacing him, because the Constitutional Court said 'he is in office', this is absurd. The capital is suffering from a lack of leadership. I see in the reports with the municipality how impossible it is.
Tirana's MPs are extremely frustrated. I don't agree with Braça because you are in the governing majority, but on the other hand, the problems you raise are problems related to the municipality. The municipality has no head.
"It is a social, political and economic experiment for a capital city to be run without a head. But I think SPAK is one of the best things that has happened to Albania in these 35 years," Rama said.
