CoE on Albania’s pre-electoral situation

TIRANA, June 8 – A pre-electoral delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) visited Tirana on the eve of the parliamentary elections of 28 June 2009.
The CoE said clearly that the parliamentary elections will be a test of the maturity of democracy in Albania and called on the authorities of Albania to fully implement the recommendations of the Parliamentary Assembly after the local polls in 2007.
They met Prime Minister Sali Berisha, Parliament Speaker Jozefina Topalli, Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha, Interior Minister Bujar Nishani, members of the Albanian delegation to PACE, Chairperson and members of the Central Electoral Commission, leaders of political parties participating in these elections, representatives of the mass media, civil society and the international community.
The delegation stressed that the authorities had the responsibility to take all necessary measures to provide each voter with a new ID card in order to ensure that all voters will be able to fulfill their constitutional right on 28 June. The issues relating to the identity card must be resolved in a fully transparent manner to secure public confidence, as well as the confidence of all political parties, in the democratic electoral process in Albania, said a statement.
The delegation noted that the significantly improved Electoral Code, adopted in December 2008, could have a positive impact on the conduct of the democratic electoral process. However, the CoE urged that the implementation of the Code in good faith also requires the commitment by the main political parties to respect the Code.
The pre-electoral delegation stressed the need for impartial, balanced media coverage, in particular by the Public Broadcaster (RTSH), which should be free from political influence. The delegation welcomed the pluralism of opinions in the print media, but was preoccupied by the problem of equal access for all political parties to the broadcast media.
The delegation stressed that democratic elections were not limited only to voting day. The authorities of the country and all political players have the responsibility to ensure the necessary conditions for the free expression of the will of all citizens. The delegation expected, and would closely monitor, that the authorities guarantee the democratic character of these elections as promised.
The Parliamentary Assembly will send a 20-member delegation to observe the parliamentary elections.