The counting process has ended in the regions of Kukës, Shkodra, Dibër, Durrës, Fier, Tirana, Berat and Lezha.

The CEC also reported that the counting and evaluation of votes for candidates in the open list in 4 remaining regions of Elbasan, Vlora, Gjirokastra and Korça is continuing. /j.p/p.s./

The most voted candidates in Tirana region from the Socialist Party are Blendi Gonxhja with 21,809 votes, Erion Braçe with 20,261 votes, Ervin Hoxha with 18,764 votes, Fatmir Xhafaj with 12,453 votes, Ornaldo Rakipi with 9,442 votes, Anila Denaj with 8,656 votes and Blerina Gjylameti with 5,715 votes.

While from the Democratic Party, Jorida Tabaku received 18,850 votes winning the only seat from the open list.

Yesterday, Chief State Election Commissioner Ilirjan Celibashi stated that there was no reason for this process not to be completed within the legal deadline.

Meanwhile, the votes from the Diaspora are still being counted. /j.p/p.s./

Speaking at a press conference, Celibashi noted that the process of processing the documentation of the diaspora vote is taking longer.

“Yesterday we wasted almost half of the time available to count the ballots due to the debate over the ballots received from Greece,” Celibashi said.

According to him, “the process moved slowly since it is a new experience.”

“The ballot counting forced us to make certain decisions. We needed to decide how to act and operate regarding various cases concerning the documentation. Counting process is moving slowly because of the performance and exhaustion, as they have been working for 48 hours now,” Celibashi said.

The head of the central election body underlined that ensuring integrity of the process is a top priority.

“This is the reason why the process is taking so long as we have to go through a huge amount of documents. We will work on series aspects of the process after the elections,” he said.

/u.sh/

Legal representative Elena Xhina said in an interview with ATA that SP had demanded that political parties be granted the observer status only during the vote counting process.

“SP fully agrees that the diaspora vote counting process be carried by counters selected by the central election body, as the Electoral Code stipulates,” Xhina said.

The Regulatory Commission met a day ago to discuss “the counting and assessment process of votes by the Albanian citizens living and working abroad, the relevant documentation and the manner of completing it, as well as the vote results tabulation.

A decision tabled by the State Election Commissioner Ilirian Celibashi stipulates that the diaspora vote be counted by the CEC administration. The decision was expected to be approved on Monday, but it was objected by the opposition parties.

Albania is preparing for a significant change in its electoral process for the upcoming 2025 parliamentary election, a reform is seen as a key moment for the country’s democratic system.

Albanians living and working outside the country will have the right to register and cast their vote in the next year’s general elections under the new Electoral Code.

/a.f/u.sh/

During a briefing, Celibashi said that in Durrës the counting process was interrupted due to the fatigue of the members of the counting groups.

While in Kurbin, he said that the counting was stopped due to tensions in the counting process.

“We also considered the situation in the Kurbin Election Administration Zone Commission, where we made a decision to suspend the process until 16:00, but the counting process has not yet started. We have communicated with the law enforcement structures to ensure order and security in the area of the vote-counting place. We asked all other persons to leave these premises, except for members, counters, observers, media representatives and candidates”, said Celibashi.

According to him, the order of the CEC has been fulfilled and there are no other persons around the premises, except those provided for by the Electoral Code.

“We are following step by step the situation in Kurbin. In the evaluation of these situations, the relevant decisions will be taken. It is too early to talk about all kinds of decision-making that the CEC may have in relation to the situation. From the point of view of public safety, there has been created the condition for the counting process to take place normally and smoothly,” he said.

Celibashi explained that, after the counting process is finished today and the tabulation of the results is done, starting from tomorrow every electoral subject who has claims has the right to submit a complaint to the CEC and the Complaints Commission is the body that examines complaints in these cases.  /gj.m/p.s./

During a briefing, Celibashi stated that there is still one voting center in Divjaka and one in Shkodra where votes have not been counted yet and 2 voting centers in each Lezha and Dibra.

According to Celibashi, the counting process for the municipal councils in Elbasan, Kamza, Vora, Pustec and Libohova has also been completed.

Regarding the turnout in elections, Celibashi said that there is information for 4835 Voting Centers where the turnout has been 1 280 930 voters out of 3 379 873 eligible voters registered in these voting centers.

According to him, the turnout in these polling stations is 37.9%./gj.m/p.s./

In a public statement, the CEC asked the vote counting groups not to interrupt the counting.

The CEC emphasized that the Vote Counting Groups must continuously count all the ballot boxes regularly accepted by the Election Administration Zone Commissions.

The CEC reminded that no one can refuse to count the ballot boxes because refusal constitutes a criminal offence.

“The Election Administration Zone Commissions should develop the process of vote counting for the candidates for mayor and municipal council in an uninterrupted manner. The commissions should take measures for timely replacement of the members of the counting groups in case”, the CEC emphasized.

Also, the CEC added that, “The commissions must correctly fill in and administer the result tables and any other election documents, as well as forward them to the CEC through the relevant data transmission system. The commissions provide the conditions for every vote that is counted and evaluated to be observed through supporting technology”/gj.m/p.s./

Initially, the counting of votes started at the Election Administration Zone Commission located at the premises of the “Vasil Shanto” school, but also at the “Kombinat” neighborhood and at the “Shkolla e Kuqe”.

Counting has also started at Election Administration Zone Commission no. 28 in the Paskuqani area, where the votes of the first ballot box started counting in the municipality of Tirana. /p.s./

At today’s meeting, the State Election Commissioner reviewed the draft decision for implementation of the pilot project for the process of voting and electronic vote counting, in the elections for local government bodies, on May 14, 2023, in the municipalities of Elbasan, Kamza and Vora.

After the review, the parties reached an agreement and took the decision after the addition of the government fund for the CEC.

Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the CEC presented the decision during which he emphasized that this pilot project will be applied in 335 polling stations in these 3 municipalities.

“For the realization of this project, the CEC asked the Assembly and the government for a fund worth 3 billion 236 million ALL. Through the Ministry of Finance, the CEC was informed that we have received a fund worth 800 million ALL for the expansion of electronic voting in the elections of May 14, 2023”, he said.

Electronic voting was applied for the first time in the elections of April 25, 2021 in the municipal unit no. 10 in the capital and then, in the partial local elections of March 6, 2022, held in Vora. /j.p/p.s./

Through an announcement on the official website of the CEC, Celibashi said that, “The process of counting the votes for the candidates is coming to an end”.

He stressed that, “The counting of the votes in 9 Local Election Commissions continues, specifically in Tirana, Durres, Lezha and Elbasan”.

“Commissioners and vote tellers are to continue counting without interruption until the last Polling Station and not to delay the entry of data in the electronic system of the CEC,” he said. /m.m/j.p/p.s./