Penalties sought for officials who force employees to attend rallies

TIRANA, June 5 – The main opposition Socialist Party has asked the prosecutor’s office to start investigating and punish officials accountable for forcing public service employees to attend rallies and meetings of the governing Democratic Party under the implied threat of being fired if they do not attend.
Tying public sector jobs with support for the party in power has been a curse for post-communist Albania, nalysts note, and is a continuation of the old communist mentality in the previous regime. Local observers and investigative reporters note that there is an increased pressure on the public employees to take part at the electoral rallies of the governing Democrats. There have been reports of this taking place across the country. In addition, children are also used, with schools closing so students can take part in rallies. (Principals often get their jobs through political connections.)
Several opposition-friendly media outlets report that public employees have been forced to bring to work “pledge lists” with the names of family members and friends who promise to vote for the party in power. Sometimes, they have also been asked to show or give numbers of their identity cards, reports indicate.
In the past some voters had been asked to take a photo of their vote with a cell phone to prove they voted for the party in power, a clear violation of Albanian laws.