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The administration of Butrint, the Constitutional Court closes the investigation: This is where the decision is made

2023-11-13 20:31:32Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
The administration of Butrint, the Constitutional Court closes the
constitutional Court

The Constitutional Court today closed the judicial investigation on the case of the Butrint National Park and postponed the decision-making until November 30.

The court informed that, until that date, the interested parties can present an expected material with the evaluations from UNESCO on this issue.

A group of 36 MPs have asked the Constitutional Court to annul as unconstitutional the law on the administration of that National Park, based on an agreement between the Ministry of Culture and the Foundation for the Management of Butrint.

The Constitutional Court today continued the examination of the request of a group of opposition deputies to repeal as unconstitutional the law on the administration of the Butrint National Park.

The court received 3 requests today; for addition and clarification of the object in the trial, postponement of the decision and for removal from the judicial body of three of the judges.

The court rejected this last request, while closing the judicial investigation and postponing the decision-making until November 30.

Lawyer Agron Alibali, representative of the group of petitioning opposition MPs, says for the Voice of America that the Albanian state has clearly demonstrated that it has full skills and capacities to manage Butrint itself.

"This model of control, management and possession by a private foundation of the Butrint National Park is unprecedented in the world and contradicts the UNESCO Convention in Paris, which has been ratified by 195 UN member states," says Mr. Alibali.

He emphasized that in addition to the constitutional violations, UNESCO's assessment of the Butrint Park issue is of fundamental importance, and these days it is conducting one of its own forums.

"Contrary to what is thought that here we are only dealing with property management in a new hybrid sense, this is not simply in the meaning of the dictionary of the Albanian language care, care for an asset and others. Here we are actually dealing with possession, control, use and presentation. So all these functions belong to the state party, which should have a primary role, according to article 4 of the Paris Convention", says Mr. Alibali.

In today's court session, there were representatives from the People's Advocate and the Supreme State Audit Office, who left the decision on the new demands of the MP's lawyer to the will of the court.

Alongside the opposition petitioners, there were representatives from the Assembly, the government, and the Foundation for the Management of Butrint.

They stated that the petitioners of the process were coming with a series of new requests, with a strategy of delays, to cause the postponement and procrastination of this sensitive issue.

Butrint project manager at the Albanian-American Foundation for Development, Ilir Parangoni, told Voice of America that this foundation is awaiting the decision of the Constitutional Court and respects its decision on the Butrint case.

He emphasized that AADF is supporting the Ministry of Culture in its efforts to create new management models for cultural sites, historical centers, archaeological parks and museums, where the main beneficiary is the local community.

"AADF has helped in this context with funds, grants to the Ministry of Culture in relation to historical centers, such as Korça Market, Tirana's New Market, Gjirokastra's Qafë Market, as well as many other historical and archaeological centers. Likewise for Butrint. It is the same model that will be applied in the good administration of the archaeological cultural wealth of Butrint", said Mr. Parangoni.

Mr. Parangoni detailed that the Foundation for the Management of Butrint has not yet taken over the cultural site of Butrint, while the case is still in the Constitutional Court.

He added that the good administration of Butrint faces new challenges such as the large number of visitors, climate changes, being near the sea.

"AADF neither takes nor gives concession cultural assets, which are under the Albanian state, which are administered by the Albanian state. All income that will be generated on Butrint will stay on Butrint. The new model is based on the fact that all the income that will be generated from tourism and from the visitation of the site will stay in Butrint, to be invested in Butrint without receiving even a penny", said Mr. Parangoni.

The law on the agreement of the Ministry of Culture with the Foundation for the Management of Butrint was approved by the Assembly 18 months ago amid heated debates in the Assembly, while the Constitutional Court registered the request of the opposition MPs a full year ago, while several sessions were held in January , February, July, October and now November.

The law caused heated protests and debates from civil society and opposition MPs, who suspect illegal and unconstitutional exploitation of a large asset of the country, which can be damaged by private management of this form.

The government believes that this law is an important step for the good management of the Park. The Ministry of Culture and AADF established the Foundation for the Management of the Butrint National Park, for a 10-year term, with the right of renewal.

The agreement provides for the fulfillment of UNESCO standards for the protection, conservation and preservation of the park, as well as the investment of another 5 million dollars from the Albanian-American Development Foundation./ VOA


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