OSCE urges speeding up election preparations

TIRANA, Oct. 18 – Last week new Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Ambassador Eugen Wollfarth, completed a tour at all Albania top institutions with a meeting with Interior Minister Lulzim Basha.
In all the meetings Wollfarth discussed key rule of law issues and aspects of their implementation, including the current introduction process of modern civil registry and address systems including their relevance for further visa liberalization steps and electoral preparations, and police training issues.
Wollfarth said he was looking forward to continue the constructive co-operation with the Ministry of Interior. “The Presence remains ready to provide further assistance like it has done throughout these years, and most recently in the NATO accession and visa liberalization processes,” he added.
Albania will hold local elections in May next year but the country is blocked with a political deadlock.
The opposition Socialist Party votes no law at the parliament and most of the laws required for the electoral reform and also the European integration needs three-fifth or 84 votes, that cannot be secured without their presence.
The Socialists, with 65 of the 140-seat parliament, want a partial recount of last year’s parliamentary polls claiming vote count manipulation. The governing Democrats oppose that saying that would violate the laws and the Constitution.