The Elections Are Not Allowed To Fail

The parliamentary elections scheduled for this year’s 28th of June are on course to be the most significant political elections Albania has held since the elections of March 22nd 1992, which marked the end of the communist regime and the advent to power of a non-communist opposition.
These upcoming elections have nothing to do with the political system and from that perspective, they should be regarded as routine, just a normal process of confirmation of advent to office of one party over another. However, the elections of the 28th of June will be of crucial importance. These elections provide the Albanian society and its political elite with the opportunity to put and end to a hugely drawn out and controversial transition period, at least in the political aspect. They may mark the point of departure from a political heritage of conflict and instability, which originated primarily from a controversial electoral process far removed from international standards.
In a matter of weeks Albania will become a fully fledged member of NATO, and currently the Government is working on the country’s application for EU membership. NATO membership, but also the bid to join the EU, constitute achievements of Albanian society and its political elite. Joining NATO and applying to join the EU are recognitions of the progress that has been made in terms of values and of the functioning of the political system and democracy in the country. Nevertheless, NATO membership or the encouragement to apply for EU membership is based on what the Alliance and EU expect of Albania – its institutions, government and the opposition.
In these circumstances, a controversial electoral process that fails to fully meet all international standards for free and fair elections would certainly mark drastic regress for the country and dire consequences to its future. Thus, not only are these upcoming parliamentary elections not allowed to fail, but they must meet all international standards.
Over the past year, the government and the opposition have done a praiseworthy job, offering consensual stands on a number of issues such as the electoral system, the new electoral code and the relevant institutions of the upcoming electoral process.
However, three months out from these elections, question marks are arising in relation to an on-going spirit of cooperation and consensus. The leader of the Socialist Party, the main opposition party, has made public what he describes as ‘serious concern over electoral process preparations and especially the issuing of ID cards to constituents.’ According to the opposition, the government is dragging its feet over ensuring that several hundreds of thousands of constituents, who currently have no valid documents with which to vote, actually get their ID Cards. The Government, for its part, has immediately reacted, declaring that the process of ID-card issuance is continuing normally and that priority has been put on citizens who are not in possession of documents which the law considers valid for voting.
An ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission that visited Albania did not comment on the claims made by the opposition. Although it was hoped that there would not be a need for an international arbiter to judge the preparations for the elections, unfortunately, it looks as though this is not going to be the case.
It is looking like the International Community and in particular, OSCE/ODIHR, will be playing an important role in these elections too.
Taking into account the fact that ‘elections’ are not just Election Day, then ODIHR’s silence does not feel helpful to the process. Apart from a lack of cooperation, there is now a feeling of suspicion between the government and opposition regarding these elections. Reinstatement of political conflict in Albania may jeopardize the standards Albania must meet in the upcoming elections.