TIRANA, Nov. 3 /ATA/ – Central Election Commission (CEC) has begun preparations for the May 9, 2027, local elections, taking into account Albania’s new administrative-territorial division, State Election Commissioner Ilirjan Celibashi said on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters, Celibashi said the commission was working to adapt all electoral preparations to the changes in the country’s administrative and territorial boundaries.
“The new territorial division law is currently in force, and we have no reason to anticipate what legal actions or initiatives interested parties may take in relation to it. There is no legal basis for us to discuss this issue. Since yesterday, we have been working to ensure that all measures related to preparations for the upcoming elections are adapted to the new administrative-territorial map of the Republic of Albania,” he said.
Celibashi was also asked about expanding electronic vote counting to more municipalities in the upcoming local elections.
He said the CEC supported extending the system to as many municipalities as possible, but stressed that the opposition Democratic Party’s objections could not be disregarded.
Although the commission considers the Democratic Party’s concerns about the security of the electronic system unfounded, Celibashi said political parties needed to reach an agreement on the issue.
“Our institutional position on electronic voting and counting remains unchanged. We have always supported expanding this system as widely as possible in the upcoming elections. However, the Democratic Party is the main opposition party, and we cannot ignore its position on the matter, even though the grounds for its opposition are entirely unfounded,” he said.
“Political parties are free to maintain their positions on this issue. The CEC is not a party to this debate. The governing majority should engage in dialogue with the Democratic Party and other political parties to seek an agreement,” he added.
Celibashi warned that reaching a decision without broad political agreement would be difficult, if not impossible, for the commission, as it could be perceived as serving the interests of one side at the expense of the other.
He reiterated his call for political parties to work together to reach consensus, stressing that the CEC did not wish to become involved in the political dispute.
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