The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will bring 250 short-term observers during the 25 April parliamentary elections in Albania, and 24 long term observers that will follow the whole electoral process. The news came after the publication of the ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report, which was filed after 4 days of meetings between the Needs Assessment Mission and the officials from state institutions, representatives of political parties, civil society, media and the international community from 25-28 of January.
According to the report, all the ODIHR NAM interlocutors considers a “large-scale ODIHR election observation mission in all regions as essential to ensure an independent scrutiny of the implementation of the revised legal framework, including of the newly introduced biometric identification of voters, and its implementation in practice.” Specific attention from the observation mission will be given to the work of the election administration, the campaign and its coverage, the biometric voter identification and the election day procedures, especially considering the COVID-19 pandemic. The resolution of electoral disputes will also be analyzed.
