The race for the new Prosecutor General has entered a deadlock at the very table meant to administer it. Instead of reviewing the candidacies, the meeting of the High Prosecutorial Council was dominated by requests for recusals among members, personal exchanges and a lack of decision-making, pushing even further a process that is already moving behind schedule.
One request triggered a chain of recusals
The clash began with candidate Ylli Pjetërnikaj’s request for the recusal of member Vatë Staka from the selection procedure. The request, submitted on July 30, is based on a claim of conflict of interest, but has still not been reviewed by the High Prosecutorial Council.
During Friday’s meeting, the situation took another turn when Staka himself requested the recusal of member Zeqir Hodo from reviewing Pjetërnikaj’s request. According to Staka’s claim, Hodo had been in communication with Pjetërnikaj even after the latter had left his post as an adviser to the High Prosecutorial Council.
The debate shifted from procedure to personal confrontation
According to claims made at the meeting, Pjetërnikaj had sent Hodo, to a private email address, the draft of a Council regulation. Hodo asked for time to express his position on Staka’s request, but insisted that Pjetërnikaj’s request be read in full and made public.
The clash deepened further when member Sokol Stojani took the position that Staka’s request against Hodo should first be reviewed, and only afterward Pjetërnikaj’s. After this, Hodo also requested Stojani’s recusal, saying he had doubts about his objectivity.
The debate between Hodo and Stojani moved beyond procedural tracks and shifted into personal exchanges, including comments about each other’s background and education. At the height of the tension, Stojani warned that he might also seek the recusal of High Prosecutorial Council chair Mirela Bogdani, claiming that she had laughed ironically during the discussion.
Meeting ends without a decision
In the end, the meeting produced no decision either on the requests or on the further progress of the procedure. Chair Mirela Bogdani reacted by saying that the level of the discussion did not belong at that table and called for respect for the candidates and the public.
The picture that emerged from the meeting was that of an institution consumed by internal quarrels, while the process for one of the key posts in the justice system remains suspended.
Delayed procedure and a tight deadline
The clashes come at a time when the High Prosecutorial Council is already behind schedule in the procedure for selecting the Prosecutor General. The five names in the race have still not been sent to ILDKPKI for asset verification, a necessary step for the continuation of the process.
Within the first week of December, there must be a new name to lead the General Prosecution Office. In the race are SPAK prosecutor Adnan Xholi, former Acting Prosecutor General Arta Marku, Eurojust prosecutor Fatjona Memçaj, and Tirana prosecutors Rovena Zoto and Ylli Pjetërnikaj.
Under the procedural rule, the High Prosecutorial Council must rank the three most qualified candidates and send the list to Parliament for a vote. So far, this process is being blocked by conflicts within the council itself.
What was supposed to be a filtering and assessment procedure for the future head of the prosecution has turned, at least for the moment, into a failed test of the normal functioning of the High Prosecutorial Council.
The more the process drags on, the more serious the questions become not only about the candidates, but also about the institution’s ability to administer such a sensitive race to standard.