TIRANA, Oct. 31 – The head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Bernd Borchardt, has urged Albania’s Special Committee on Electoral Reform to complete the OSCE ODIHR recommended changes to the country’s electoral code based on the commitment of Albania’s political parties.
In a recent televised interview, Borchardt, said the time for the approval of the amendments to the code is very limited.
“There are only a few weeks left until the President decrees the date of the next parliamentary elections, and the elections preliminary work kicks off. The Central Election Commission, local government units, parties need time to prepare and get acquainted with the system. OSCE ODIHR recommendations have not been implemented yet. There is a lot of time pressure for these changes. We encourage the committee to start working on these issues as soon as possible,” Borchardt said.
Recently, members of the Socialist Movement for Integration have recommended the introduction of open lists which would allow citizens to vote directly on the MPs they want in parliament rather than a closed list decided by the party leader as is currently done.
The recommendation has been met with skepticism by the Democratic Party whose leader Lulzim Basha, opts for creating a regional-proportional system that aimed to eliminate thugs from politics and improve the quality of lawmakers.
OSCE Ambassador said that the issue of open lists and amending the electoral system is “a matter of political consensus.” He said that OSCE ODIHR “does not recommend any specific electoral system,” and that respects “the choice of each country to select the best electoral system.”
“In terms of the list, this decision is an exclusive right of the Albanian parliament because it can impact matters related to the Constitution, hence it would require a broader quorum for consensus. All arguments against and in favor of open lists must be cautiously reviewed before any decision is taken. OSCE ODIHR does not say ‘do this’ or ‘do that’. We are willing to explain to you the possible consequences or technical traps of specific models” Borchardt said.
“Parties need a lot of cash. Elections are costly. Any budget financing requires a lot of money. Does your state have that amount of money? I do not know. Private financing can be allowed, but any transparency in terms of financing is more important. This will help the voter to get a more solid sense on the candidate,” Borchardt declared.
He also proposed an expansion in the role of the Central Election Commission so that political parties are obliged to provide detailed information about their source of financing before the elections.
