Also, the Commissioner provided an overview of the CEC’s efforts to guarantee a fair competition, such as watching out for the misuse of state resources and monitoring transparency of financial data.

The two ambassadors emphasized that it is crucial for the electoral process that institutions like the CEC be allowed to carry out their work independently and that people freely choose who to vote for.
Ambassador Hohmann related the conduct of upcoming elections to Albania’s path towards EU membership.

“Albania’s accession process is well underway and the screening of the first cluster of chapters where elections are an important component of the fundamentals, has completed. Therefore, increased attention will be paid to the conduct of local elections,” said Ambassador Hohmann.

The two ambassadors emphasized the importance of the integrity of the candidates in the elections and of guaranteeing equal footing for them in the race. They emphasized that the CEC should maintain the credibility built so far and focus on the implementation of the unfulfilled recommendations of the ODIHR.

Commissioner Celibashi thanked the EU and the US for their support to the CEC and the election process as a whole. Celibashi appreciated in particular the EU-funded digital platform for party funding reporting, implemented through the Council of Europe.
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