TIRANA, Feb. 1 – The chairman of Albania’s Democratic Party, Lulzim Basha, has warned massive popular protests “for the protection of free elections” over the government’s alleged “attempts to manipulate” the parliamentary elections of June 18.
Basha accused the government of not implementing the decriminalization law and enforcing ties with organized crime and drug traffickers which will allegedly be used to “ruin the elections.”
The opposition believes that the Socialist Party leader is using the lack of time as an excuse to not allow use of an electronic voter verification system and an electric count.
Basha said in a press conference that the Democratic Party will launch a civil political action and called on Albanians to engage in these protests that aim to “guarantee the freedom of vote and preserve the dignity and individual freedom that comes through the freedom of vote.”
“It’s up to the citizens to take destiny in their own hands and the opposition will lead this battle,” he added.
Opposition parties have laid out five conditions for their participation in the upcoming general elections such as biometric identification of votes, electronic voting and counting, expulsion of convicted criminals from the electoral process, introduction of penalties for vote rigging and banning use of public administration as well as fair media access during electoral campaigns.
However, the OSCE office in Albania which assists Albania on electoral matters announced that Albania “was too late to amend the electoral legislation which allows parties to pursue electronic voting and counting.”
On Tuesday, the Democratic Party chairman met with U.S. Ambassador Donald Lu and the head of OSCE Presence to Albania Bernard Borchard.
Interlocutors talked about the “importance of free and fair elections, decriminalization and the engagement of organized crime and drug traffickers in the elections,” a press release issued by DP read.
According to the press statement, Basha reiterated that electronic voting and count is the “only way to restore faith to the free vote.”
In the meantime, members of the European Parliament have called on Albania to guarantee a free and fair electoral process.
MEP Knut Fleckenstein has warned that European Union will open its doors to Albania only if the parliamentary elections of June 18 meet the standards and will be free and fair and authorities implement the justice reform.
