Electoral College reverses CEC decision on vote counting, highlighting increasing role of the judges in the process
TIRANA, June 13 – The Electoral College has reversed a decision of the Central Election Commission that relates to counting the votes in small towns and villages rather than in the county seat in the region of Fier, as the main opposition Socialist Party had requested.
It is the second time the college rules in favor of the opposition party. Albania’s Electoral College is a group of judges with final say on election procedures. They have taken a more prominent role since the opposition’s nominees have abandoned the CEC in protest of what they call political interference by the government.
But the latest decisions also indicate that the CEC crisis must be solves as soon as possible, experts said. International representatives have been exerting increasing pressure to convince Albanian political parties to come to an agreement to make CEC fully functional.
EU Ambassador Ettore Sequi held a meeting with opposition leader Edi Rama Thursday, lobbying for a solution. Sequi said his calls are similar to those of U.S. Ambassador Alexander Arvizu and OSCE/ODIHR mission chief Conny McCormack.
“We discussed the matter of CEC, among other issues,” said Ambassador Sequi. “CEC decisions can no longer be taken by four members.”
CEC crisis continues
The election governing body is made up of seven members, nominally independent, but in reality representing the parties that nominate them.
The crisis started in April when the parliament replaced one of the CEC members. He had been nominated by the Socialist Movement for Integration Party, which left the governing coalition to join the opposition. In protest of the removal of the SMI nominee, other opposition-nominated CEC members resigned, leaving CEC only with four members belonging to the governing coalition.
But many decisions at the CEC have to be taken with at least a 5-2 vote, which places the electoral process in jeopardy.
The opposition has observers at the CEC and moves on with complaints to the Electoral College when they see the violation of the rule.
The final election results also need a 5-2 vote, so unless the CEC situation is resolved, the entire process is in danger. The governing Democrats say the CEC may run with four members and the counting and certification of the votes can be done by local commissions. The opposition seems in no hurry to find a solution.
The international community has thus far failed to mediate any solution to the problem and now it only continuously calls on both political sides to reach a compromise.
The governing Democrats insist that the opposition Socialist-supported members should return to their CEC seats. Recently, they offered the idea of special parliament session to resolve the matter.
But the opposition wants a total reshuffle of the commission, something not accepted by the Democrats. With just one week left ahead of the June 23 polls, time is running short on a possible solution.
