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Albanian poll shows progress but observers call for improvements before parliamentary elections
TIRANA 14 October 2003
TIRANA, 14 October 2003 - The local elections in Albania on 12 October built on improvements made in previous elections and showed further progress towards compliance with OSCE, Council of Europe, and other international standards, though a number of shortcomings need to be addressed before the next parliamentary elections.
This was the conclusion of the international observation mission deployed by the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE).
"These elections were held in a more mature political environment than previous elections", said Ambassador Robert Barry, the head of the ODIHR observation mission.
"Political parties treated each other as legitimate opponents, without the heated rhetoric that marred previous campaigns. It is now essential that the remaining shortcomings be addressed if Albania is to hold elections that can consistently meet international standards."
The elections were held under a new Electoral Code that significantly improved the legislative framework for elections. The Code was adopted in June 2003 following the consensual work of a bipartisan parliamentary committee, which was assisted by the OSCE Presence in Albania, the ODIHR, and the Council of Europe.
International observers concluded that, while the Central Election Commission deserved credit for administering the elections in a generally professional, transparent, and even-handed manner, it lacked effective rules of procedure. This contributed to the delayed adoption of key decisions and instructions, the late distribution of election materials, the late release of public funds for campaign purposes, and postponed training for lower-level commission members.
Observers also noted that last-minute changes to the voter lists led to confusion on election day.
"Efforts at the grass-roots level to conduct open and democratic elections were remarkable," said Helene Lund, head of the CLRAE delegation. "Nonetheless, it is of utmost importance that changes be made before the next elections, beginning with improvements to the system of voter registration and the counting process. The high level of family voting is also of concern."
The international observation mission reported that all major broadcasters complied with the legal provisions for balanced reporting, which led to significant improvement in the coverage of the campaign. Concerns were raised, however, about the decreasing representation of women as candidates and as members of election commissions, a trend that has been worsening for more than a decade.
The ODIHR and CLRAE will release final reports on these elections in about one month.
This was the conclusion of the international observation mission deployed by the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE).
"These elections were held in a more mature political environment than previous elections", said Ambassador Robert Barry, the head of the ODIHR observation mission.
"Political parties treated each other as legitimate opponents, without the heated rhetoric that marred previous campaigns. It is now essential that the remaining shortcomings be addressed if Albania is to hold elections that can consistently meet international standards."
The elections were held under a new Electoral Code that significantly improved the legislative framework for elections. The Code was adopted in June 2003 following the consensual work of a bipartisan parliamentary committee, which was assisted by the OSCE Presence in Albania, the ODIHR, and the Council of Europe.
International observers concluded that, while the Central Election Commission deserved credit for administering the elections in a generally professional, transparent, and even-handed manner, it lacked effective rules of procedure. This contributed to the delayed adoption of key decisions and instructions, the late distribution of election materials, the late release of public funds for campaign purposes, and postponed training for lower-level commission members.
Observers also noted that last-minute changes to the voter lists led to confusion on election day.
"Efforts at the grass-roots level to conduct open and democratic elections were remarkable," said Helene Lund, head of the CLRAE delegation. "Nonetheless, it is of utmost importance that changes be made before the next elections, beginning with improvements to the system of voter registration and the counting process. The high level of family voting is also of concern."
The international observation mission reported that all major broadcasters complied with the legal provisions for balanced reporting, which led to significant improvement in the coverage of the campaign. Concerns were raised, however, about the decreasing representation of women as candidates and as members of election commissions, a trend that has been worsening for more than a decade.
The ODIHR and CLRAE will release final reports on these elections in about one month.