U.S., EU repeat call to focus on flawless elections

TIRANA, Jan. 17 – The United States and the European Union have again expressed their concern for the conflicting political debate in Albania and urged political sides to hold free and fair elections as a key to the country’s further democratic progress.
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Philip Reeker said that 2013 is a very important year for Albania due to its parliamentary elections in June 23.
“It is of vital importance, and not only for Albania’s future in the European Union, that it continues work in a number of spheres and reforms to consolidate democracy,” said Reeker at a news conference in Brussels Wednesday.
“But I do believe that it is important for Albania’s European prospects and even more fundamental for Albania’s and its people’s future, that these elections are free and fair.”
Reeker said that not only the international community but the Albanian voters should feel, understand and consider the voting as such, because that would be the way to increase trust of their politicians.
“Albanian elections in June are an important opportunity to testify that Albania has reached another level because polls have not been one of the strongest points in the country’s history,” said Reeker.
EU Ambassador to Tirana Ettore Sequi echoed the remarks of the the American official Wednesday.
“You know that we consider that good quality of elections is extremely important,” he said. “Europe believes Albanians deserve precisely that.”