The selection of the new Prosecutor General is entering a critical phase, as the deadline for the end of Olsian Cela’s term approaches and the responsible institutions appear to be significantly behind schedule. Instead of a clear and predictable competition, the process appears stuck amid breaches of legal deadlines, internal clashes, and a lack of institutional response.
The term is ending, but the procedure has fallen behind
On December 5, Olsian Cela’s term as Prosecutor General ends, while the High Prosecutorial Council, which must send Parliament the three final names, appears to have exceeded the deadlines set by law.
According to data on the progress of the procedure, the HPC has not respected the basic steps of the process within the deadlines, adding to questions over the institution’s ability to move forward in time with one of the most important appointments in the justice system.
Delays also in forms and preliminary verification
The application deadline closed on August 1, but the forms for ILDKPI were not forwarded within five days, as required, but with a delay of around one and a half months.
Likewise, the preliminary assessment of the five candidates has still not begun, even though this step should have been completed within 45 days, that is by September 15. So far, neither the list of candidates who meet the criteria nor the list of names that should be excluded from the race has been drafted.
No action by the HJI over the deadlock
In this situation, there has also been no reaction from the structure that the law charges with verifying the reasons for the blockage. Under the legal provisions, the High Inspector of Justice should begin verifications into procedures that have entered a deadlock.
However, so far no verification appears to have been carried out, leaving the process without visible institutional oversight at a time when deadlines have been exceeded and uncertainty is growing.
Internal clashes and lack of quorum
During September, HPC members were involved in debates and clashes over excluding one another from the procedures, in a climate that, according to the version presented, is also linked to vote balances for the candidates backed by each side.
At the latest meeting, after several weeks of debate, member Zeqir Hoda was excluded from all evaluation procedures, reducing the number of members from 11 to 10. Meanwhile, the request to exclude two other members from the process, Vate Staka and Sokol Stojani, remains unreviewed.
The situation is also aggravated by the fact that several meetings have failed due to a lack of quorum. The next meeting of the Council is expected to be held on Thursday.
With Olsian Cela’s term ending on December 5, the chain of delays, clashes among members, and institutional passivity make the process for the new chief prosecutor not only delayed, but also exposed to doubts over the normal functioning of justice mechanisms.
Instead of a regular and transparent procedure, the picture that has emerged so far is that of a race gripped by deadlock and of an institution that is failing to respect even the minimum legal deadlines.