TIRANA, May 9 – OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) announced Tuesday the launch of election observation mission for Albania’s parliamentary polls scheduled to take place on June 18.
The mission headed by Ambassador Peter Teljer of Sweden consists of 13 core team experts from 11 participating states. It will be joined by 26 long-term observers and about 300 short-term observers from its 57 member countries except Albania
In a press conference held Tuesday, Ambassador Tejler said that the mission will focus on the overall process and not on the race between political parties.
“We are aware that the process will be opposed by some political parties, but our mission is transparency. The decision to run in the elections is entirely political. We are here to monitor the elections,” Tejler said.
Fifteen political parties are running for the parliamentary elections. The Democratic Party-led opposition has not registered for the vote, claiming that the government will use drug money to rig the elections.
The head of the OSCE/ODIHR mission refused to comment on the decision of the opposition.
“We cannot say if the stance of the opposition in Albania is fair or not. Our mission is to monitor and not to provide evaluations,” Tejler concluded.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights will collaborate with the delegation from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
One day after the elections, OSCE ODIHR will hold a press conference on preliminary findings and conclusions.
The OSCE/ODIHR has observed 12 elections and referenda in Albania, most recently the 2015 local elections.
