Socialists determined in their demands for free and democratic elections
On the eve of the approval of the law on local elections
Statement by the PSSH faction
After the discussions held within the political party and in public opinion concerning the first reading and the examination in parliamentary committees of the draft law on local government elections, some of the opposition’s suggestions have not coincided with the interests of citizens. Because of the lack of transparency and the tendency to manipulate the polling and counting centers, the coalition with other opposition parties in ensuring the proper conduct of the elections, including the independence of polling and counting commissions for each center, direct procedures for identifying voters, and guaranteeing the secrecy of the vote, our representatives in the consensus group and the parliamentary committees have persistently presented the demands for creating a suitable climate for acceptable electoral standards. On 26 May, specialized institutions assessed that the general elections were held with serious shortcomings as regards compliance with the standards and procedures provided for by electoral legislation. In view of some of these conclusions, taking into account the partial review of the result and the voting process, the participation of foreign observers and the decisions of international institutions, the opposition’s demands for new elections are in the public interest of establishing the truth. The draft law “On certain amendments to law no. 7573 dated 16.06.1992 ‘On the election of local government bodies’” presents for approval the post-election framework of 26 May and, by failing to reflect either the recommendations of the OSCE and the observation missions, or the civic and political concern of the opposition regarding compliance with democratic election standards, makes it unacceptable. These considerations are included in the official position of the Socialist parliamentary group and its allies. The use of the state administration and the electoral commissions as instruments of political pressure makes a full review of the legal and organizational basis necessary. Therefore, we ask that our proposals be taken into account in order to guarantee a process that is free, fair and controllable by all political actors. Only in this way can local elections serve as an important step toward the country’s institutional and democratic stability.
The draft law “On certain amendments to law no. 7573 dated 16.06.1992 ‘On the election of local government bodies’”, which will be submitted for approval at the plenary session of 12 September 1996, creates all the premises for a further postponement of issues related to the standards of free and democratic elections. According to assessments by international bodies and observation missions, the elections of 26 May were accompanied by serious irregularities. As a result, our demand for new elections through deep legal and procedural changes remains a political and civic necessity. We believe that without correcting the climate, without depoliticizing electoral administration, and without ensuring honest oversight of the process, any local election would be compromised. That is why we insistently call for a solution that is in the interest of democracy and the country’s future.
The draft law “On certain amendments to law no. 7573 dated 16.06.1992 ‘On the election of local government bodies’”, which will be submitted for approval to the next meeting of the Albanian parliament, makes the demand for a further postponement of the elections of 26 May unavoidable