The opposition says its wants transparency in the summer elections which must include a recount of some ballots.
TIRANA TIMES
TIRANA, Aug. 11 – Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said this week he is ready to implement the European Parliament’s resolution to investigate the June 2009 elections, noting once again that involves the voting materials, not recounting the ballots themselves.
This issue has become the main obstacle to an agreement between the two major parties.
The Socialists said Berisha should give up the idea of destroying the ballots by burning them.
The declaration comes as a group of ordinary Albanians have submitted a request to the Central Elections Commission to organize a referendum in which citizens are invited to vote whether or not they want a recount of the ballots in the past elections.
In their official filing with the CEC, the list of people who signed the petition ask for three yes or no questions to be put forward in a referendum: Should there be a recount of the ballots? Should the recount be done by the civil society? Should the recount be done by CEC?
The organizers say the time has come for citizens to decide for themselves the fate of the vote and that their demand is derived from the rights given in the constitution. The group of citizens is awaiting a response by CEC which, by law, must do so within 20 days.
The move comes as CEC has moved past the deadline which would allow it to destroy the ballots currently on file.
Issue of recounting the ballots continues to be wrench in the works that is stopping an agreement between the ruling Democratic Party and the Socialists of the opposition.
The opposition says its wants transparency in the summer elections which must include a recount whenever the election material did not meet the transparency.
But the ruling Democrats say the issue should be resolved only in accordance with the law, which, they say, provides for a provision to destroy the ballots by burning them after they have been archived for a certain time.
