Albania’s 2023 local elections: ODIHR election observation mission final report

The May 2023 local elections in Albania were generally well-administered, competitive and held with the participation of the key political forces, but the process was characterized by continued polarization between the main political parties and deep division within the opposition. Contestants could campaign freely, but cases of misuse of state resources at central and local levels, claims of pressure on public-sector workers and voters, and allegations of vote buying were of concern. While election day was generally peaceful, the process was negatively affected by numerous cases of party interference as well as technical and procedural problems, widespread group voting and problems with the secrecy of the vote.

These are some of the main conclusions from the final report on Albania’s 2023 local elections, published today by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The report offers 27 recommendations to bring elections in Albania closer in line with OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections.

Key recommendations include:

• Identifying and independently investigating all allegations of electoral violations, including vote-buying, pressure on voters and misuse of state resources;

• Making genuine efforts to raise awareness about the long-standing phenomenon of vote-buying and publicly condemning such practices;

• Enforcing effective safeguards ensuring the secrecy of the vote and preventing intimidation of voters, group and proxy voting;

• Committing to meaningful electoral reform and addressing all ODIHR recommendations to ensure a comprehensive and consistent electoral framework;

• Reviewing legal provisions related to the campaign, including those against misuse of state resources, to remove ambiguities and ensure a level playing field;

• Ensuring proper implementation of the law on the right to information, decriminalizing defamation and supporting independent journalism;

• Ensuring stability of the election administration by excluding arbitrary replacements of members of the election administration and reviewing the system of nominating members and secretaries of the lower-level commissions;

• Avoiding or limiting the use of unattributed materials produced by parties or state authorities in news and information programmes during the election campaign.

ODIHR deployed an Election Observation Mission on 7 April 2023 to observe the local elections. All 57 participating States across the OSCE region have formally committed to following up promptly on ODIHR’s election assessments and recommendations.