TIRANA, March 8 – As Albania prepares for the May 14 municipal elections, Ambassador Kim met on Wednesday with leaders of the Socialist Party, Democratic Party, and Freedom Party to underline the importance of conducting activities in a fair, transparent, and orderly manner, in accordance with Albanian law and international standards, said an announcement posted by the US Embassy on Facebook.
According to it, Kim reminded them of ODIHR’s observations and recommendations from previous reports. For example, in its final report on the April 2021 parliamentary election, ODIHR recommendations included the following:
- The state should guarantee the right to a free and secret choice. Any form of pressure to disclose whether and how people voted should be prevented.
- Law enforcement agencies should intensify efforts to identify, investigate and prosecute cases of vote-buying. Citizens should be encouraged to report and provide evidence of any vote-buying or pressure.
- Albania should ensure the security of citizens’ personal data. Relevant institutions should thoroughly investigate and sanction any breach which impacts public confidence in the electoral process.
- Legislation should be amended to ensure that media are able to independently cover activities of electoral contestants with a view to limit the use of party produced content in the news.
Further the announcement said that the party leaders also affirmed they will review their respective candidates to ensure they meet the requirements of the law as well as the expectations of Albanian voters for clean candidates.
The United States will continue to work closely with Albanian voters, authorities, parties, civil society, media and others in support of an electoral process that reflects Albania’s status as a NATO Ally and aspirant for membership in the European Union, said the US Embassy in Tirana. /Argumentum.al
