Government turns own opposition claims on IDs

TIRANA, May 27 – The Interior Ministry turned down allegations from the opposition Socialists that they were not holding the issuing process of the new identity cards in line with the plan and that many non-passport holders would be deprived of the IDs.
The ministry said that 1.1 million people had already applied for the new IDs and some 450,000 were non-passport holders. It added that about half a million passport holders, out of a total number of 730,000, were expected to apply in the country as up to 260,000 were believed to be out of the country due to immigration.
The opposition Socialist Party sent a request to the ministry to get the lists of the non-passport holders and other Albanians and also made known their concern to international institutions, specifically the OSCE and ODIHR monitoring the elections.
The Ministry also appealed to Albanians to go and collect the new IDs, adding that more than 300,000 IDs were waiting to be received by their holders.
Earlier this week, US Ambassador in Tirana John L. Withers appealed to Albanian citizens from the central town of Berat to apply for new identity cards so they can vote in the June 28 parliamentary elections.
A similar appeal was made last week by the head of the OSCE mission, Robert Bosch.
There is growing concern that not all citizens who lack passports will be issued with new identity cards before the June elections.
The June 28 parliamentary poll is seen as a crucial test of the country’s democratic credentials, especially in its integration efforts into the European Union.