Albania amends constitution to keep on vetting the judiciary

By LLAZAR SEMINI
Associated Press

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s parliament on has approved a constitutional amendment to allow continued vetting of the judiciary, a key reform in the country’s path toward becoming a member of the European Union one day. Lawmakers voted 118-0 Thursday in favor of a two-year extension of the mandate of the vetting institutions, which would otherwise end in July, and continue the process for 300 remaining judges and prosecutors. Judicial corruption has plagued post-communist Albania, hampering its democratic processes. The justice system reform aims at ensuring that judges and prosecutors are independent from politics, and at rooting out bribery. Out of almost 500 — from a total of 800 — vetted so far, only 183 have been approved while 297 were fired.