Despite the absence of the chairperson and deputy chairperson, the Investigative Commission for textbooks held a meeting on Monday, but the same was considered illegal and in violation of the Assembly Regulations. However, the commission composed of majority MPs interviewed three former Ministers of Education, while the former Minister Hykmete Bajrami refused to answer as she said that she does not participate in the legal violation of the ruling MPs.

After the opposition deputies, including the chairman of the committee, Shemsedin Dreshaj and the deputy chairman, Ardian Kastrati, did not come to the meeting, the member of the committee, the deputy of LVV, Armend Muja proposed her fellow deputy, Arjeta Fejza to chair the meeting.

However, this decision by the former Minister of Education, Hykmete Bajrami, who is also a deputy of the LDK in the current legislature, was considered illegal and inconsistent with the Rules of the Assembly.

She said that this meeting is being held illegally and that the committee cannot be held without the chairperson and deputy chairperson, even though six deputies may be present.

According to her, the Administration of the Assembly also proves this.

This was denied by MP Muja, who said that based on the Law on Parliamentary Investigation, Article 11, Point 3, meetings must be held with the invitation of one third of the MPs.

In addition, the deputy of the government demanded that a member of the administration of the Assembly be removed from the meeting, as according to him, she is trying to influence the progress of the meeting of the deputies without authorization.

After Muja's request, she left the meeting.

Despite these dilemmas for the success of the commission meeting, the majority MPs invited former Ministers of Education as witnesses.

The former Minister of Education from PDK, Arsim Bajrami, who served in the years 2014-2017, reported to the deputies.

He said that during the three years of his mandate, school textbooks were provided in accordance with the law. The former minister stated that in the third year of government, he managed to provide textbooks for only 3.5 million euros, from 8 million in the first year.

Meanwhile, the former Minister of Education during the years 2017-2020, Shyqyri Bytqi, said that he does not remember the total cost of providing books, but added that there have often been excesses of what was originally planned in the Budget Law.

The former minister, Ramë Likaj, also said that he served during the pandemic, when the focus was the opening of schools and the return of students to school banks.

He said that he does not remember how much the total cost of providing books in 2020-2021 was. 

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