TIRANA, July 30 /ATA/ – The President of Republic Bajram Begaj decreed into law the new changes to Albania’s Electoral Code on Tuesday.
The President of Republic decreed the law No. 81/2024 on several appendixes and changes to the law No. 10 019, dated 29.12.2008, the Electoral Code of the Republic of Albania amended.
“The law, which gained broad parliamentary backing, is a product of discussions and cross-party deal on implementation of the Constitutional Court rulings on abrogation of several provisions of the Electoral Code. Parliamentary cooperation, as well as the responsibility and respect to the constitutional and the rule of law principles are political and legal values of a truly democratic system,” the President’s office said in a press statement.
Albania’s parliament passed significant amendments to the Electoral Code, with 106 votes in favor and just 2 against at its final session before the summer recess last Friday.
One of the most notable changes is the introduction of gender quotas, which passed with 103 votes. This move aims to boost the representation of women in Albanian politics, marking a significant step towards gender equality.
Another key update allows Albanian citizens living abroad to vote by mail. Approved by the Law Commission, this new provision will extend voting rights to all Albanians who have a residence address outside the country, making the electoral process more inclusive.
Under the new changes, one-third of the candidate list will be closed, whereas the remaining candidates will be listed openly and ranked based on preferential votes.
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