Date 26 April 2021, Time 22:45 pm – It is already announced that the counting process has been completed in the municipalities of Pustec and Libohova, as well as in the Municipal Unit no. 10 in Tirana due to technology usage, thus voting and electronic counting. Regarding the counting process for electoral subjects, this process has been completed in 35 electoral administration zones and it turns out that 3846 polling stations out of 5199 such have been counted so far. What we can say about the cases identified so far, is that it is noticed that there are still polling stations that have an influx of unauthorized persons inside, but also around the polling stations. In EAZ 51 in EAZ 83 in Vlora, EAZ 31 in Tirana, in EAZ 69 also, there is no control for persons entering the polling stations.
In CEAZ no. 47 the police expelled the party observers at the request of the CEAZ on the grounds that they were disturbing the commission with their complaints. Regarding this last case, despite the legitimacy that the CEAZ may have had in the mentioned case, all political forces should be informed to accurately inform their representatives as political observers at the polling stations about the manner of contestation. So, if they have a dispute with the way the counting teams are going with the process or even with the way they display the ballots on camera or even for anything else. Of course, in such a case, the CEAZ must have the understanding to patiently handle all the claims of political observers as long as they are substantial and have content, and are also presented in writing, but on the other hand political parties they should avoid non-existent disputes, which aim to artificially increase tension in the polling stations or even delay the process.
In this case, the CEAZs should be clearly informed so that political observers can express these disputes through written complaints. CEAZs should do everything possible to re-identify persons within the polling stations by allowing only those permitted by law, such as commissioners, technology professionals, accredited observers, and candidates. Every local or central official should be accredited as an observer. From the information of the observers that we have, there is an influx of unauthorized persons, even here in the operational center have come photos and videos that show the presence of persons who are without accreditation located in a visible place and shows a normal influx within these centers.
Regarding the concern raised about the high number of invalid ballots, it is noticed that there are about 60 thousand invalid ballots which constitutes about 5% of the votes counted so far. The geographical distribution of these invalid ballots is the same for all counties, this also comes from the confusion that citizens may have made at the moment they cast their vote.
It is the responsibility of the CEAZs and the VCTs to ensure the integrity of the process and the ballot papers from the moment the ballot box is opened until the moment they are scanned and summarized in the minutes of each polling station. So it should be the burden of the commissioners to show that this process in every link enjoys complete integrity and there is no doubt that it can be manipulated, there is no doubt that other notes can be made that make the sheet invalid or deviate the vote of the citizen. The only case when a vote is invalid is only in the case when more than 2 signs belonging to different subjects are placed, 2 different electoral subjects, or when it is an electoral subject and a candidate of another subject, or when Various entries were made on the ballot paper by citizens, such as phrases or other signs that are not related to the voting process. It is important that this legitimate concern of the citizens or even of the electoral subjects, the CEAZs and the VCTs address with high responsibility to make strictly transparent the protocol set by the CEC in the way of opening the voting and the manner of evaluating the ballot papers and passing them on camera to the counting tables. The case of the video published by the independent candidate Kreshnik Merxhani, a video made public on the Facebook page, is condemned. KRIIK observers have contacted the candidate and sources close to EAZ Tepelena and it appears that the video is likely to be true and where the marking on the ballot papers appears, which is a case that is openly in violation of the law and for which relevant institutions must respond.
The CEC is urged, as well as reacted, to verify the case and take appropriate steps.
Going to the independent candidate in Tirana that the name of the candidate does not appear in the minutes at all. In a normal report of the polling station there are 13 electoral subjects where 12 are political subjects and the last one is the independent candidate of Tirana district. While in another record, there are only 12 electoral subjects and there is no independent candidate. It is very important for CEAZs to take action and avoid such mistakes, which should clarify how it is possible to clarify how such an error occurred that raises questions about the ballot evaluation process and how of its administration in terms of information computerization. The CEC is encouraged to react as soon as possible to this report to the CEAZ 38.
Referring to the result of the count so far, KRIIK appreciates the measure of the Commissioner announced a few moments ago at the press conference, who decided to consider the possibility of imposing administrative sanctions on commissioners for non-implementation of the Electoral Code and for non-application of article 122/1 regarding the deadline in which the counting stations must respect until 21:00 on April 26. Based on the information that comes to us that there is a fatigue of commissioners.
KRIIK has called on commissioners and political parties, as well as counting groups, to put in place the envisaged mechanism for changing the vote counting groups in order not to suspend the counting process. The suspension of the vote counting process does not bring anything good at this stage of the process. It is imperative that the vote counting process for electoral subjects continue unabated. CEAZs in cooperation with the main electoral subjects to establish other counting groups to change the counting groups without overworking them and the break can be performed after the counting of the electoral subjects. This is for a reason, after this process is over, any possible suspicion for the possible impact of the votes related to the candidates is cleared and at this moment the other mechanism that the Election Commissioner has approved only one day before the elections related to filming of the ballot counting for the constituency by all candidates and electoral subjects, which means that the possibility of continuing the institutional continuation of the ballot counting teams already per candidate can be done independently by the electoral subjects or by candidates, photo evaluation of ballot scans.
This is one more guarantee not only for the transparency of the process but also to ensure the credibility and transparency of the process in the first place towards the electoral subjects that compete and the candidates, but also for the citizens themselves. It would be one more guarantee to show the members of the vote counting groups that their work and the way they are counting is already documented and in the new amended legal framework and the new spirit, in the process of in the aftermath or in the election audit that is planned to take place, the respective responsibilities will be taken towards any commissioner who violates the law or tries to manipulate the vote of the voters as were the images recorded a little earlier.
Thus, in this respect, the CEAZs, the vote counting groups and especially the forces of the political parties that are proposing these commissioners are encouraged to support the commissioners not to stop their work, but to continue the counting process for 1300-1400 the remaining boxes without being counted, in order to have as soon as possible the result for the electoral subjects throughout the country.
In the following, we will move on to some other incidents, which are worth bringing to our attention.
In CEAZ 89 in Delvina, a verbal confrontation was recorded between the mayor of Delvina and the chairman of the commission, asking the observers to remain calm. Another commissioner has been appointed in defense of the mayor and this has led to a clash between the commissioners.
It is very important that all candidates or authorized persons within the polling stations, if they have disputes, follow the legal path. Any person who is a senior public official, or even elected as in the case in question, or even a candidate, still has no more rights by law, the law is equal to him like all others and should follow the institutional path of addressing potential or legitimate concerns that may arise.
Under no circumstances should CEAZs be allowed to act to protect the commissioners of the ballot counting teams, ie the members of the counting teams from intimidation or threats that may arise from any senior official who is in the observers. Moreover, in case these may be unauthorized, the CEAZ should intervene immediately, requesting the intervention of law enforcement. By investing the legal mechanisms and legal instruments which are available. As happened in CEAZ 47, where the police forces were alerted by the chairman of the commission of CEAZ 47 in Elbasan, after some of the observers of the socialist party intimidated the counters regarding the disputes of the votes. On this occasion, the police forces have made possible the cleaning of the observer area and the counting facilities by some other unauthorized persons who were standing there.
There was also concern in CEAZ 24 in Durrës where a person known as the right hand of local officials and senior socialist officials with the initials AB, intervenes in the counting teams trying to control the work or even intimidate the members of the counting teams . Law enforcement officers intervened but were unable to get him out. Thus, the Zonal Electoral Administration Commissions must understand that they are omnipotent and all-powerful within these institutions, ie within the polling stations, and have the law with them and must use all legal power and legal instrument to establish order and to protect members of counting teams from intimidation by senior officials or other groups, no matter how strong they may be in terms of political, economic, or any other power.
In CEAZ 86 there was a vote contestation by observers, where the ballot counting team refused to consider the contestation and the CEAZ commission had to intervene to calm the situation, as the situation became tense and turned into pressure exercises. and in verbal violence by interrupting the counting process, but now the counting continues normally.
Regarding the incident of CEAZ 22 in Durrës where a report results in a number of voters less than the ballot paper was simply a technical error already clarified, as the minutes recorded the number of voters as shown in the electronic identification device and forgot 15 voters who had manually signed and identity cards and biometric fingerprints of which had not been made possible to obtain from the electronic identification device and this was the reason for the discrepancy.
Regarding the physical conflict reported in some media in CEAZ 43 in Rrogozhina, so it has nothing to do with the counting process, but the verification that observers did there, but was the discussion to declare a vote invalid or not, as the mayor’s stamp has not been well visible, however the issue has been resolved amicably by the commissioners. We also have a report from CEAZ 57 in the Municipality of Fier where counters use discriminatory terms when counting.
It is very important to draw the attention of all members of the zonal election administration commissions and counting teams to maintain ethics and in this case not to use discriminatory or insulting terms nor to make propaganda or fans of any political force. and of any individual, whether local or of any other affiliation.
This was more or less the progress of the counting process so far. Our observers are looking particularly closely at the type or reason for the vote being considered invalid. We very much hope that this trend will stop, as 5% is not a small amount for what has been counted and an increasing number would become really worrying and could have an effect on the result. Therefore, it is very important to strictly respect the procedures provided at the polling station for the counting team, in order to maintain trust in this process not only by political entities, but by all citizens.