TIRANA, Jan 15 /ATA/ Twenty six long-term observers and 300 short-term observers will come to Albania to monitor the parliamentary elections on May 11th.
The media published on Wednesday the conclusions of the ODIHR mission report, following its preliminary visit to Albania on December 3rd and 6th, after meetings with institutional leaders, political party representatives, and the media.
The report states that it is critically important to monitor the situation before the elections, especially regarding the use of state resources.
ODIHR highlighted several areas that need particular attention, including the work of the electoral administration, the integration and use of new technologies in elections, campaign activities and their media coverage on online platforms, campaign financing, the resolution of electoral disputes, and election day procedures.
The media published today the conclusions of the ODIHR mission report, following its preliminary visit to Albania on December 3rd and 6th, after meetings with institutional leaders, political party representatives, and the media.
The report states that it is critically important to monitor the situation before the elections, especially regarding the use of state resources.
ODIHR identified several aspects that require special attention, including the work of the electoral administration, the introduction and implementation of new technologies in elections, the campaign and its media coverage on online platforms, campaign financing, resolution of electoral disputes, and the procedures on election day.
The report emphasizes that “while ODIHR’s recommendations regarding the national threshold for independent candidates and the possibility for political party leaders to run in multiple electoral districts have been addressed, many of ODIHR’s previous recommendations have not been implemented yet.”
“The report includes recommendations related to the composition of lower-level electoral commissions, the electoral rights of individuals with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities, criminal liability for defamation, independent media coverage during electoral campaigns, and the extension of campaign financing regulations to cover third parties,” the report states.
The report notes that, with regard to election monitoring, “all of ODIHR’s interlocutors highlighted the need for a comprehensive election observation mission by ODIHR, emphasizing the importance of its deployment prior to election day and in all regions to guarantee independent and impartial oversight of the entire electoral process.”
“Representatives of state institutions regarded ODIHR’s electoral recommendations as an important contribution to improving the electoral framework and practices. Many interlocutors emphasized the critical importance of monitoring the pre-election period, especially regarding the use of state resources and the potential impact on creating a level playing field. They identified several aspects requiring special attention, including the work of the electoral administration, the introduction and implementation of new technologies in elections, the campaign and its media coverage on online platforms, campaign financing, resolution of electoral disputes, and election day procedures,” the report continues.
Based on these findings, ODIHR recommends the establishment of an Election Observation Mission (EOM) for the parliamentary elections on May 11, 2025.
Along with a core group of experts, ODIHR suggests that OSCE participating states deploy 26 long-term observers to monitor the electoral process nationwide, as well as 300 short-term observers to oversee election day procedures, including voting, vote counting, and the compilation of results. In line with ODIHR’s standard methodology, the mission will also include media monitoring.
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