Ilir Mehta is mainly a ceremonial role, often in conflict with the socialist government of Prime Minister Eddie Rama.

The Albanian Parliament impeached President Ilil Mehta on Wednesday for violation of the Constitution and removed him from office.

In a special meeting, the parliament passed the decision to remove the president by 104 votes to 7. The three abstained. The Albanian Constitutional Court will make the final approval within three months.

A parliamentary investigation report concluded that Mehta took a prejudice against the ruling socialists in the parliamentary elections on April 25, which violated the Constitution. The report stated that Meta violated 16 articles and incited violence.

“Illil Mehta betrayed… the mission of the President of Albania,” Prime Minister Eddie Rama said in a speech before the vote. “Illil Mehta insulted the Constitution.”

Meta condemned the investigation and impeachment attempts, arguing that they were illegal.

During the debate or after voting, Meta did not respond. During the parliamentary debate, Meta continued his daily agenda, awarding medals to folk music ensembles.

In late April, 49 ruling socialist lawmakers called for the establishment of an investigation committee.

They accused Mehta, the former socialist prime minister who left the party years ago, of inciting instability and violence in the Balkan countries and siding with the political opposition before the election.

They said that Mehta should be impeached for failing to fulfill the constitutional obligation to guarantee the unity of the country.

The ruling Socialist Party overwhelmingly won 74 of the 140 seats in Parliament in the April 25 elections, winning their third four-year term.

The report said: “The actions, behaviors and practices of the President of the Republic… are contrary to his constitutional role and status.”

It stated that Mehta should be “removed from the post of President of the Republic for serious violations (of the Constitution).”

The presidency of Albania is mainly ceremonial, but has certain authority over the judiciary and the armed forces. This role is also generally understood as having nothing to do with politics, but Mehta often clashed with the socialist government of Prime Minister Ediramar.

Since taking office as president in 2017 with the support of the ruling socialists, Mehta has been opposed to their agenda, preventing ministers from nomination and vetoing legislation.

Mehta accuses Rama of operating a “thief regime” and centralizing all legislative, executive and judicial powers in his hands.

Meta believes that the outgoing parliament is in a transitional period after the election and therefore is not eligible for such investigations. The parliament elected in April did not formally take office until September.