The Democratic Party has formally turned to the Ombudsman to request an investigation into the impact of the “Smart City” project on citizens’ private lives and personal data. The move also prompted a response with political undertones from Endrit Shabani, whose name had previously been opposed by the opposition itself in Parliament and at the Constitutional Court.
PD’s request to verify the project
In the letter signed by PD human rights secretary Franc Nuri, the party requests the opening of a special investigation into the “Smart City” project, focusing on the impact it may have on fundamental rights and freedoms.
PD is also asking the institution for additional checks, priority treatment because of the high public interest, and full preservation of documentation, electronic communications, minutes, system logs, technical reports and access registers related to this project.
The old clash over Shabani’s appointment
The Democrats’ move stands out because of the open conflict they had over the way Endrit Shabani was chosen to lead the Ombudsman’s office. In January, PD took the procedure followed by Parliament to the Constitutional Court, claiming that the Socialist majority had broken the law and disrupted the practice of choosing this post from the ranks of the opposition.
According to PD’s version, opposition MPs had withdrawn their supporting signatures for Shabani before the vote in Parliament, but this was not accepted by the majority, which argued that the action had been carried out outside the legal deadlines.
Shabani’s response: thanks with a political charge
In the official response, the Ombudsman accepted the complaint and decided to launch an administrative investigation. But alongside the procedural part, Shabani also chose to send a political signal to the opposition.
He thanks PD for raising the concern and underlines that he appreciates the fact that this political force is turning to the Ombudsman as an independent guarantor of fundamental rights and freedoms. The message is read as a direct reminder of the opposition’s challenge to his legitimacy.
What will be investigated in “Smart City”
According to the official notice, the subject of the investigation will be the compliance of the “Smart City” project with constitutional and international standards for the protection of private life and personal data.
The institution said the case will be followed by a working group of three assistant commissioners, under the direction of Besnik Deda, Commissioner of the Police Section. It has also left open the possibility of engaging independent external expertise for the assessment of the findings.
Beyond the irony between the sides, the core of the issue remains the institutional oversight of a project involving large-scale data processing and potentially minors as well.
The administrative investigation announced by the Ombudsman now puts to the test not only the “Smart City” project, but also the seriousness of the mechanisms that are supposed to oversee the state when it enters the territory of citizens’ privacy.