PRESS RELEASE
The Coalition for Reforms, Integration and Consolidated Institutions (KRIIK) published on June 11, 2022 the PUBLIC STANCE “The MPs and the Assembly of Albania must fulfill their responsibilities for starting work and realizing a real Electoral Reform, based on the principles of transparency and inclusiveness“.
Through it, KRIIK commends the completion of the membership of the Ad Hoc Parliamentary Committee for the Electoral Reform by the Assembly in the session of Thursday, June 9, 2022, although after a delay of 4 months from its establishment, while the term of its activity is foreseen until 10 August 2022.
The Rules of Procedure of the Assembly provide for the meeting of the Committee within two days of its completion, but no steps were taken for its meeting either by the Co-Chairs, nor by the members or by the Speaker of the Assembly, who according to the regulation have the opportunity and obligation to make it functional.
Based on this development, in pursuit of the political-institutional attitudes and processes that have taken place, KRIIK expresses its reservations and criticisms, raising concern that the serious and genuine commitment, to address the major problems of the integrity of the elections, will apparently be truncated or will be substantially absent even in this Electoral Reform process.
After calling on the Committee to convene as soon as possible, KRIIK urges it to be guided in its activity by the principles of transparency and inclusiveness, approving as soon as possible its work plan and a special regulation, to ensure inclusiveness. and the participation of other non-parliamentary stakeholders, as well as the procedures for interaction with them.
It is also suggested to the Committee that, first, to close minor and specific legal amendments in relation only to the proper functioning of the upcoming local elections within July 2022. Then, in the next parliamentary session to start and address all other regulations to be applied in the parliamentary elections of 2025 or even after, as well as the drafting of a special law on the financing of political parties and election campaigns, the law on referenda, the new law on political parties, as well as other necessary adjustments, in line with the administrative-territorial reform.
KRIIK also recommends some concrete issues that need to be addressed and improved for the next local elections of May 2023, based on the problems observed by the implementation and legal practice followed in the last parliamentary elections, on election campaign financing, misuse of state resources, campaign in the media, including social media and its monitoring, the campaign by third parties, preferential voting for municipal councils, the fulfillment of the criteria for registration of electoral subjects, etc.
In conclusion, KRIIK calls on the Political Parties to agree on the political will to apply in these local elections the administration of the Second Level Commissions (CEAZs) with non-partisan individuals, according to the provisions of the Political Agreement of 5 June 2020, as a form of piloting the entire administration independently, but also as a way with direct effects for more complete law enforcement, as well as the beginning of the abolition of political patronage established in the state administration.
The full text, in .pdf can be downloaded HERE.
Tirana, on June 11, 2022!