Speaker Xhaferi says he must act upon a request of any judicial institution

If a request is sent by a judicial institution, on my part, I cannot choose between taking action or not taking action, because in my capacity as Parliament Speaker I must forward it to the Committee on Rules of Procedure and Mandatory-Immunity Issues, which is in charge of discussing the request, Parliament Speaker tells MIA when asked to comment on the arrests of several MPs over their involvement in the violent events of 27 April 2017.

The committee’s report should be sent back to the Parliament Speaker, which will serve as a basis for the Speaker to schedule a session to discuss the matter, according to him.

As Parliament Speaker, Xhaferi says, I don’t intent to comment on the decision and jurisdiction of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in relation to the issuing of the warrants.

“As regards procedures regulated under the Constitution and the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, I believe there are some dilemmas over full observance of an adequate procedure considering the provisions of Article 64 of the Constitution stipulating that a member of Parliament shall not be detained without an approval of the Parliament,” he says adding that some procedures may have been violated.

Parliament Speaker Xhaferi is in Sweden, where his is paying a two-day official visit.