During the Socialist General Presidency and Parliamentary Group The referendum of 6 November was held in difficult circumstances not only because of the bad weather, but also because of the unprecedented pressure exerted by the government and the President through the state machinery to manipulate and distort its result to the greatest extent possible. To disguise the crushing defeat of the democratic majority in the 6 November referendum, the government is now inventing another lie and trying to present the 6 November vote as a victory for the government and the ruling party. The General Presidency of the Socialist Party and the Socialist Parliamentary Group are following with attention and great concern the official claim regarding the referendum result, a result based on a series of falsifications. According to this claim, 84.7 percent of voters supposedly took part in the referendum and 53.9 percent of them supposedly approved the constitutional draft. These figures contradict the results received at the Socialist Party headquarters as well as the data obtained by our commissioners at polling stations. For these reasons, the General Presidency of the Socialist Party and the Socialist Parliamentary Group declare that these data and this result are not the result of a free vote, but of manipulation and falsification. About 1,083,168 voters took part in the voting, and of this number 378,936 voters voted against the constitutional draft, 378,936 voted against, while only 704,232 voters voted in favor of the draft. This means that the constitutional draft was approved by only 42 percent of eligible voters, far less than was required for its approval. We do not recognize this manipulated result, with which the government is trying to cling to power by force. We call on the Albanian people to remain calm and not fall prey to provocations. We call on all independent institutions, the media, social and political organizations, as well as the international community, to follow developments closely and to demand full clarification of the truth. The truth cannot be hidden by triumphant declarations, delays in announcing the results, or manipulations in the polling-station records. The people have spoken and said their word. (To be continued on page 3)

STATEMENT BY THE PARLIAMENTARY GROUP OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY Following the ongoing blocking of parliamentary work, Socialist Party deputies blocked yesterday’s plenary session, demanding respect for the rules of procedure and priority consideration of the situation created after the referendum. The Socialist deputies stressed that the manipulation of the referendum result constitutes a serious political and institutional act. They called for full transparency, verification of the records, and accountability for the violations identified. During the debate, the use of the state administration and the instruments of power to influence the will of voters was denounced. It was emphasized that the Assembly cannot continue as if nothing had happened, while the country is facing a crisis of trust. The Parliamentary Group of the Socialist Party declared that it will continue its parliamentary and political efforts to defend the free vote and the truth of the referendum. For the parliamentary group of PPSH, NAMIK DOKLE Chairman For the parliamentary group of PSH, FATMIR XHYTI Secretary (To be continued on page 3)

On 7 November, the observation of the ballot boxes began with the aim of examining the electoral documentation. This process is being carried out in the presence of representatives of the political forces and the commissioners of the polling stations. The Socialist Party reiterates that the data emerging from this verification prove that the officially announced result does not match the factual data. For every box opened, the record, the voter list, and the conformity of the voting materials are being checked. The electoral commissions, law-enforcement bodies, and state institutions are called upon to guarantee the safekeeping of the electoral materials and that they are not tampered with until the full investigation is completed. (To be continued on page 3)

- The commission for gathering counting workers. Truth will be revealed through transparency. The votes will be defended by every democratic means. The PD has been defeated by the people’s vote. (To be continued on page 3)

Parliament began work with the gambling law!...