TIRANA – “I have not only protected the Constitution, but I have also resolved the question of the loophole existing in the Criminal Code for those who wanted to use pandemic against the health of citizens,” has said President Ilir Meta.
The statement on Thursday was a tit-for-tat reply to some circles from opposition ranks which lashed out at the head of state for decreeing the amendments to the Criminal Code which were adopted by Parliament last week.
Meta recalled that April 23 is an important day- the International Book Day, but, as he said, unfortunately there are some ‘pseudo-intellectuals’ and ‘pseudo-experts’ who have not only forgotten to read books, but also do not want to read and understand simple decisions. According to him, those decisions are very important for the life and safety of all citizens in these difficult pandemic moments.
Albania is in a lockdown since March 9 this year after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic which has taken the life of 27 people and infected more than 600 people and the Covide-19 virus is still a threat to this Balkan country with the number of the affected people fluctuating disproportionally. On Thursday 29 new cases were confirmed a figure equal to that of April 4 when it was considered the peak of the epidemic.
The Head of State appealed to his criticizers some of whom part of the elite of analysts close to the opposition Democratic Party to deepen and read the final version (of the Criminal Code) approved by the Parliament after the fundamental changes publicly proposed by the President of the Republic.”
The amendments provide for sentences to those who violate the rules of the national disaster risking to cause fatalities among the innocent people. Albania’s Criminal Code did not have any provisions relating to national disaster situations like the one in progress.
In a reply to the concerns the violation of human rights by the opponents of the amendments’ changes, Meta took as example Denmark and quoted two law articles of that country related to diseases of such a nature like coronavirus. According to them, if the disease is of such a nature that, under the law, it shall be liable to public treatment or at the time of the committing of the act it is in fact being so treated, or if special measures have been taken against its introduction into the state, the penalty shall be imprisonment for any term not exceeding six years. While the other quoted article said: “Any person who, for the purpose of gain, or who purely wantonly or in any similar reckless manner, exposes the life or physical ability of others to impending danger shall be liable to imprisonment for any term not exceeding eight years.”
Calling his criticizers dear ‘enemies’ of the book, Meta advised them to find time to read those lines.
“With full responsibility and permanent coherence, I not only defended the Constitution, but also solved the gap that the Criminal Code had for those who wanted to use pandemic against the health of citizens, setting a standard for this major issue same as Denmark. If only Danish standards were applied in each field…,” said the President in his statement./argumentum.al
