PACE to observe the parliamentary elections in Albania

TIRANA, June 22 – A 19-member delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), led by Corien Jonker (Netherlands, EPP/CD), will be visiting Albania from 26 to 29 June to observe the parliamentary elections, alongside observers from the OSCE and NATO Parliamentary Assemblies, and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR).
The delegation is to meet the President of the Central Electoral Commission and representatives of the political parties standing in the election, civil society and the media, before observing the ballot on 28 June in a sample of polling stations across the country.
A PACE pre-electoral delegation, visiting Tirana on 4 and 5 June, stressed that the authorities had the responsibility to take all necessary measures to provide each voter with a new ID card in order to ensure they can exercise their constitutional right on 28 June. Considering that these elections will be a test of the maturity of democracy in Albania, it also called on the authorities to fully implement the recommendations of the Parliamentary Assembly contained in its Resolution 1538 (2007).
Preliminary conclusions will be announced during a joint press conference on Monday 29 June in the Hotel International, Tirana.