Democrats invite opposition on dialogue table

The Democratic Parliamentary Group Leader, Astrit Patozi, invited his socialist homologue Gramoz Ruçi, all other parliamentary group leaders, and the OSCE ambassador in Tirana, Eugen Wolvarth.

On the dialogue table scheduled next Tuesday March 29th, Mr. Patozi invited all parliamentary parties to commit in implementing the OSCE/ODHIR recommendations that are directly or indirectly addressed to the political parties’ role during the electoral process.

According to the Election Code, the political forces are responsible for the progress of the election process, by the power given to them with the commissioners.

On this regard, Mr. Patozi recognized on this invitation letter the importance of the preparation process and he also considers as extremely important the OSCE/ODHIR recommendations. The report recommends that “Albanian parties should show political good will to maintain a democratic election process, and in full accordance to the privileges given to them by the election law, and also by obeying to the law and not to political orders.”

Such orders have frequently obstructed the election process on the Election Day or during the voting counts. According to the Democratic Party, the election process will guard its integrity if there will be political good will.
 
Mr. Patozi’s invitation arrives at a time when the Socialist Party is not represented by its electoral commissioners, due to their failure of respecting the legal deadline. The socialist commissioners’ list was submitted to the Election Central Committee some days after the deadline and remains still unevaluated.

Secondly, the Democratic Party invitation to dialogue doesn’t include the three election safeguards demanded by the Socialist Party: transparency over voters’ lists, equipments that allow the commissioners to verify the identity cards, the right to open any suspected ballot box for a recount after the results, in order to avoid what socialist leader calls “Electoral Corruption”.

Mr. Astrit Patozi’s letter states that “respecting the laws and constitution, which is described by OSCEODHIR as the full base of a democratic election, is what best guarantees not only the legal interests of political parties, but above all the interest of all Albanian voters”.

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