EP concerned about CEC

After the European Parliament left group met this week with the Socialist Party leader, Edi Rama, Fleckenstein shared in an interview for Top Channel his impressions about the debate and concerns for the future elections in Albania.

“Edi Rama held a powerful speech at the European Parliament, reiterating what he considers as indispensable to change in the economic aspect, the way how the state is organized, so that it can get closer to the European Union”, Fleckenstein declared.

He also presented some strong points about what he expects from Albania: to be reasonable and credible, so that the new step towards the European Union path can be really taken, if the conditions will be met and so that no other conditions are added by the European Union.

“Our biggest concern, not only on the Social-Democratic group, but also on the right wing, is about what will happen with the Central Election Commission and if the elections in Albania will really be honest. This is one of the things that the country and the government has to prove in order to show that they really are on the European Union path. We have doubts because the Central Election Commission does not make us believe that everything is going well with these elections”, Fleckenstein declared.

TCH: Why can’t there be free and honest elections with the current Central Election Commission?

Fleckenstein: “I think that the most important thing is that the parties should reach an agreement for the members of this Commission, and not let them be from only one side. They should be independent. An independent Commission takes care of the electoral progress. This is not about who is the majority and who is the Prime Minister in this moment. They should be more independent and I think that one of the most important things is to reach an agreement between the parties for choosing these members”.

TCH: Will the European Parliament monitor Albania during these elections?

Fleckenstein: I think that it has not been decided yet how it will be done. I know that the Parliament members will visit Albania before the elections, not only from my group, but also from the right wing. I cannot say today if the visit will be only for the elections, but I will strongly ask this Parliament to do this, because we need to get assured that Albania has free, democratic and well organized elections. Otherwise it will not be easy to get closer to the European Union, and Mr.Berisha knows this”.

Top Channel