While the willingness of the Albanian authorities to renew their commitment to electoral reforms ahead of next year's parliamentary elections is to be welcomed, the national authorities need to make use of the current opportunities to finalise and implement them, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said today.
"It is encouraging to see the progress Albania has made in many areas, and how open the authorities are to engage with ODIHR's recommendations," said ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci. "But unfortunately, we have not seen any headway on the legal reforms needed to address our recommendations. Now is the time to take action, prior to next year's elections."
ODIHR has made a number of recommendations following recent elections to improve the democratic process. A number of these require changes both in legislation and in implementation. Priority recommendations emphasise the need to further strengthen the effectiveness of the election administration, campaign finance oversight, and media regulation as well as take additional measures against misuse of public resources and other violations.
ODIHR stands ready to support the authorities and assist the parliamentary ad-hoc committee on electoral reform in any way possible within its mandate. The Office also offers to provide an in-depth legal analysis of the election code or any proposed changes to relevant legislation.
During his two-day visit to Tirana this week, ODIHR's Director met with President Bajram Begaj, Prime Minister Edi Rama, Interior Minister Taulant Balla, Justice Minister Ulsi Manja, European Affairs Minister Igli Hasani, and Central Election Commissioner Ilirjan Celibashi, as well as members of the parliamentary opposition. Discussions focused on support ODIHR can offer in the area of elections as well as many other areas of its mandate, to help strengthen Albania's democratic institutions. A fruitful discussion with the OSCE Presence in Albania centred on cooperation with ODIHR to work further on human rights issues in the country.
