TIRANA, March 14 /ATA/ – The State Election Commissioner Ilirjan Celibashi turned down a request from the main opposition Democratic Party chaired by Lulzim Basha to register for the local elections due to take place on May 14 in Albania.
Presenting the arguments for making his decision in this afternoon’s public session after reviewing the request of the Democratic Party to register as an electoral subject in the elections for local government bodies on May 14, 2023, Celibashi said that the DP’s request is legally unfounded and therefore should not be accepted.
“In my judgement, from a formal point of view, Lulzim Basha or the persons authorized by the latter have all the legitimacy to submit the request to be registered as an electoral object. The documents for the registration of the DP as an electoral subject in Albania presented by you as authorized by Basha suffer a fundamental deficiency,” Celibashi told the DP legal representative Indrit Cefa.
Celibashi argued that “the solemn declaration should be signed by the DP chairman Lulzim Basha, but it turns out that it was signed by Enkelejd Alibeaj, who was authorized according to the documentation by Basha. In my opinion, Lulzim Basha or the persons represented by him can make the request and not the faction led by formed DP leader Sali Berisha,” Celibashi said.
The central election body held a regular meeting on registration of the political parties set to run in the upcoming mayoral elections.
The two factions, one centered around long-time leader Sali Berisha, and the other, currently around Enkelejd Alibeaj, had submitted their applications to the CEC for the local elections on May 14.
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