Tirana Times
TIRANA, March 29 – International observers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on Tuesday started a mission to monitor Albania’s May 8 local authorities elections.
The OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights will have 15 international experts based in Tirana and 24 long-term observers to be deployed throughout the country. In addition, ODIHR will request 400 short-term observers to monitor election day proceedings and the counting process. The mission is headed by Jonathan Stonestreet, who has headed several election missions for ODIHR in recent years.
Stonestreet urged local political parties to show their will for holding free and fair elections, that have been marred frequently by irregularities.
The mission will assess the local elections for their compliance with OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections, as well as with domestic legislation. Observers will follow campaign activities, the work of the election administration and relevant governmental bodies, the implementation of election-related legislation, the media environment and the resolution of election-related disputes. Short-term observers will monitor the opening of voting centers, the voting, the counting of ballots and the tabulation of results.
After the elections, ODIHR will present a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions at a news conference. A final report on the observation of the entire electoral process will be issued approximately eight weeks after the end of the observation mission. More than 3 million registered voters will elect heads of 384 town halls and communes under a regional proportional system. The main contestants are former Interior Minister Lulzim Basha of the governing Democratic Party against main opposition Socialist Party leader and Tirana Mayor Edi Rama.
