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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In an official letter addressed to the country’s major political forces, the CEC announced that it is considering the expansion of electoral technology applications to a specific number of local government units.

According to the CEC, “To ensure a timely, sustainable, and logistically sound implementation, the Central Election Commission views expanding the system to three or four major municipalities as a balanced and practical next step.”

Therefore, the CEC requires that any decision regarding the expansion of the process should be based on a clear and consolidated position from the political parties. The CEC has asked political parties to state their positions regarding the possibility of implementing electronic voting and counting in several major municipalities ahead of the 2027 electoral process.

As part of these consultations, the political parties have also been invited to designate representatives to attend a consultative meeting at the CEC, scheduled for October 9 at 11:30 AM. /m.q/a.f/r.e/p.s./

There were discussions on the barriers affecting the exercise of the right to vote, the risks of electoral corruption and mechanisms for preventing and reporting irregularities. The participants shared experiences and practices aimed at ensuring an inclusive electoral process with integrity.

During the forum, there were also presented the findings from a study on accessibility and corruption risks regarding the electoral participation of persons with disabilities, alongside recommendations for improving the institutional framework and electoral practices.

As part of preparations for the 2027 local elections, this forum served as a vital platform for strengthening inter-institutional cooperation and identifying concrete measures that contribute to an electoral process that is more accessible, transparent and inclusive for all citizens. /p.s./

The CEC said signatures could be collected from the entry into force of its decision until March 31, 2027.

The process will be suspended during the period prohibited under the Electoral Code, from Dec. 1 to Dec. 31, 2026.

In the same session, the CEC filled vacant seats on five municipal councils across the country, appointing representatives from the Social Democratic Party and the ruling Socialist Party in Pukë, Devoll, Mallakastër, Krujë and Patos.

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The governing Vetëvendosje movement secured 57 seats in the country’s 120-member Assembly, followed by the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) with 22 seats, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) with 15, and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) with six.

The Serbian List won nine seats, while the Party for Freedom, Justice and Survival, led by Nenad Rashiq, secured one seat.

CEC chairman Kreshnik Radoniqi presented the results for each political party.

The final results were approved by a vote for all parties except Serbian List.

Radoniqi said political subjects have the right to appeal to the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel within 48 hours.

Ilir Gashi, a representative of the Democratic Party of Kosovo on the CEC, questioned whether the announcement of final results on Friday complied with legal requirements.

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The CEC also decided to terminate the mandates of political party representatives on the Municipal Election Commission in Prizren, citing significant discrepancies in candidate vote totals.

CEC chairman Kreshnik Radoniqi said the findings would be referred to the State Prosecutor and that the central election body would cooperate fully with investigators.

Recounts showed that changes to party vote totals were minimal, but candidate-level results contained major inaccuracies, with Prizren identified as the most extreme case, Radoniqi said.

Kosovo prosecutors have begun gathering evidence to determine whether criminal offences related to the electoral process were committed.

The recount concerns Kosovo’s Dec. 28 parliamentary election, won by Lëvizja Vetëvendosje.

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The necessary materials sent to the 5 municipalities of Vlora, Berat, Cërrik, Mat and Tepelena include ballot papers, ballot boxes, minutes, secret rooms and all other materials that guarantee holding of elections in accordance with the Electoral Code.

Two days ago, the Central Election Commission also conducted operational testing of the electronic voter identification devices (PEI) that will be used in Sunday’s by-elections.

In accordance with the Electoral Code, 3% of the devices that the CEC will use in the mayoral elections in 5 cities were randomly selected to simulate the process of opening, closing, and voter identification.

For the identification of voters, there will be implemented the Electronic Voter Identification System (SEIV) and Electronic Identification Devices (PEI) located in 472 polling stations in 5 municipalities, which will ensure the accurate identification of voters, based on the electronic register kept in the device.

On election day, the voter will present himself at his polling station with an identity card or biometric passport, to be identified through the PEI device, where in addition to the identification document, there will also be taken his fingerprints, which will serve to identify cases of illegal voting. /p.s./

Young people who voted within the country were joined for the first time in this election by 4,356 first-time voters from the Diaspora.

These data were presented today as part of the discussions of the roundtable held at the Central Election Commission with a focus on increasing the education of young people on elections.

The activity is being held as part of the CEC’s cooperation with the National Agency for Pre-University Education and the Academy of Political Studies, for the education of about 20,000 high school graduates across the country, who became eligible to vote.

The campaign is implemented within the framework of the Council of Europe project, “Strengthening the Integrity of Elections in Albania” and is financially supported by the Federal Republic of Germany.

State Election Commissioner Ilirjan Celibashi emphasized that encouraging the young people to participate in electoral processes and their electoral education is a priority of the CEC, reflected in electoral education projects and programs.

Celibashi also emphasized the need for a more systematic approach to educating first-time voters and extending electoral education to future commissioners and trainers, contributing to raising election standards.

Head of the Council of Europe Office in Tirana Giulia Re expressed her appreciation for the results of the youth education program and at the same time expressed her continued support for the CEC for any initiative that contributes to raising the standards of the country’s democratic processes.

On his part, German Deputy Ambassador Thilo Schroeter underlined that the participation of young people is of fundamental importance for the electoral processes.

While Director of the Academy of Political Studies Erjon Tase presented an analysis of the questionnaires developed with teachers and high school graduates involved in the education campaign for the May 11 elections. /k.s/j.p/p.s./

CEC Chairman Kreshnik Radoniqi and the Serbian List-appointed member voted in favor, while the two members from the ruling Vetëvendosje party voted against, and the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) members abstained.

The decision comes amid concerns expressed by the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Prishtina, Anu Pratipatti, during a meeting with acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti. Pratipatti said she was “extremely concerned” about any attempt to restrict the participation of local Serb communities in the upcoming elections.

In a statement following the meeting, she emphasized that it is “critically important” for local Serbs to be included in the electoral process and cautioned against efforts that could limit their ability to vote or stand as candidates in the October 12 vote.

The ruling has sparked political debate in Kosovo over minority representation and electoral fairness ahead of the local elections.

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According to the DP, “The number of ballot papers produced does not match the votes found in the boxes”.

Regarding this concern, the Democratic Party requests an urgent launch of an administrative investigation into the content of the ballot papers in all the boxes throughout the country.

The DP also requested detailed clarifications on this situation in order to clearly indicate the location and treatment of over 130 thousand ballot papers, since according to it, “The total number of the ballot papers produced does not match in any way with the number of votes found in the boxes, plus unused and damaged ballots.

The DP insisted that the CEC should act immediately and in full compliance with the principle of legality. /m.m/a.f/p.s./