The ruling Socialist Party has submitted two bills that target communist-era collaborators, following a request from the Albanian Authority for Information on Old State Security Documents (AIDSSH).
The first law will allow AIDSSH to screen even politicians who have already undergone background checks for their ties to the communist regime.
The second prohibits politicians who were involved in Sigurimi, the intelligence arm of the Albanian communist regime, and whose names appear in Sigurimi’s files, from holding public office.
“The [worrisome] the cases shown in AIDSSH’s report to Parliament, where high-level politicians who have purity certificates, actually appear in Sigurimi’s files, require a direct and immediate response,” Klotilda Bushka, President of the parliamentary committee on legal affairs.
Earlier this week, AIDSSH released a report to Parliament in which it said it had assessed some 446 MP candidates and found five names appeared to be involved with Sigurimi.
The names included a high profile politician whose initials IM were later confirmed to belong to former President Ilir Meta.
Meta denies claims that the initials refer to him and said AIDSSH manipulated the files.
In its report to Parliament, AIDSSH called on it to intervene because the current law protects former collaborators through a loophole: AIDSSH is no longer obliged to audit those who have already been examined by previous commissions, and it cannot pass besides a certificate of purity issued by such a commission in the past.
