U.S. envoy fails to mediate CEC solution

TIRANA, May 29 – Jonathan Moore, a top official with the U.S. Department of State, visited Tirana this week to negotiate on a political issue that may seriously affect the administration of the June 23 parliamentary election.
But hefailed to negotiate a compromise between the two parties after meetings with Prime Minister Sali Berisha of the governing Democratic Party and Edi Rama of the main opposition Socialist Party.
Albania’s electoral process faces difficulties as currently the Central Election Commission, which runs and certifies the polls, is made-up only of nominees of governing Democratic Party.
The Democrat-run parliament ousted an opposition-nominated CEC member, a move that was followed with the resignation of three other members in protest.
Moore, the director for South-Central European Affairs at the U.S. State Department, was in his second visit to Tirana in about a month. On Tuesday has met with Prime Minister Berisha, who is seeking a third term, the opposition Socialist Party leader Edi Rama and other top politicians.
International observers are closely monitoring elections in post-communist Albania, where polls have always been marred by concerns over violence, vote-rigging and intimidation.
He also met with other politicians.
Moore said that if the June 23 elections were alsoaccompanied with violence, then Albania “would enter a collision course with the United States.”
He said that the electoral process was in doubt. But he also said that there was another institution that superseded, the Electoral College and urged the people to trust it.
Moore said there would be a rigorous observation of the election and also supported statements by U.S. Ambassador to Tirana Alexander Arvizu.
Moore said that a solution for CEC is still unclear, but added that people should trust the electoral institutions. Analysts noted that the fact that Moore mentioned the Electoral College may mean that CEC will remain as it is, with only four members of the governing Democrats and no Socialist representation, as the opposition chooses not to fill its seats.
However, many decisions at the CEC require at least five members and may delay the process by moving it forward to the Electoral College.
In early April, the parliament ousted from the post a member nominated by the Socialist Movement for Integration, after SMI left the governing coalition and joined the opposition Socialists in a pre-electoral deal. Following that move, two other CEC members affiliated with the Socialist left the commission.