Brussels – Forty-eight hours after the elections in Albania that reconfirmed Prime Minister Edi Rama for the fourth consecutive time, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) casts some shadows on the triumph of the Socialist party, which alone won 52.1 per cent of the vote: “Our long-term observers witnessed widespread intimidation and misuse of public resources during the campaign,” reads the OSCE mission report. These conclusions were immediately reiterated by the European Union, to which Rama has promised accession by 2030.
The OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) deployed its mission, led by Ambassador Lamberto Zannier and composed of 12 international experts and 26 long-term observers, as early as April 10. In this way, the OSCE was able to verify the proper conduct of the election day, which “went smoothly and well-organised, despite some shortcomings,” as well as the climate leading up to the May 11 vote for parliamentary renewal.
From the report emerges “a misuse of state resources, with senior government representatives engaged in numerous official events that often coincided with the election campaign and included the announcement of social welfare programs and infrastructure projects, giving the ruling party an unfair advantage.” Beyond the lack of a level playing field among candidates, the international mission reported widespread intimidation and numerous allegations of pressure on voters, particularly public servants. Zannier himself warned that “we are witnessing extreme political polarisation resulting in excessive pressure on voters and on the electoral process itself,” and that this “undermines the positive steps taken in Albania in the past and could negatively affect progress toward achieving the long-term goals” outlined by the ODIHR.
In a joint statement, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, and EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, congratulated “all the relevant authorities who ensured the smooth conduct of operations throughout the country” which is a candidate for EU membership, stressing that the elections were run in a “generally inclusive and transparent” manner. However, Kallas and Kos then echoed the ODIHR report’s annotations, stating that “due to the widespread use of administrative resources and the influence of institutions, it is possible that the ruling majority enjoyed an advantage from the office held.” In the statement, Brussels also pointed out that “media independence continued to be a problem and election coverage continued to emphasise the main parties, while transparency of campaign financing remained limited.”
Rama has not yet commented on the outcome of the elections or the ODIHR and Brussels findings. Neither did he comment on the much harsher accusations made by his defeated rival: the leader of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, declared that “the May 11 elections were characterised by the most massive vote-buying in Albania’s electoral history” and that the Democratic Party “will never accept these elections.” Berisha has already called a protest demonstration for May 16, the day when leaders from all over Europe will attend the summit of the European Political Community right in Tirana.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
