The German Social Democratic European Parliament Member, Knut
Fleckenstein, declared that the situation created at the Central
Election Commission has created concern among Albania’s European Union
partners, especially the European Parliament.
“The Central Election Commission is an institution that has the legitimacy to certify the election result. It is a high irresponsibility that parties have agreed to make this institution weaker, so that it cannot be able to do its job. This situation has created concern among Albania’s European partners, especially the European Parliament. The Albanian government acted irresponsibly when it rejected a CEC member. This action falls in contradiction with the ambition declared by the government for being in power again, and to achieve progress in Albania’s European objectives”, the European Parliament Member declared.
Fleckenstein, member of the European Parliament from the Progressive Alliance Group of Socialists and Democrats, member of the European Parliament Committee for Foreign Affairs, and active in Western Balkan, mainly Serbia, Kosovo and Albania, in an interview for “Deutsche Welle” speaks about the election situation, underlining that it should be an independent, reliable and efficient administration to guarantee that all parties will implement the same rules.
“If this will not happen, how can the citizens believe the election result, if they cannot believe the honesty of the entire electoral process?”, Fleckenstein declared.
To the question if there is a potential risk that the loser of these elections will contest the result and the winner, because of the situation created at the Central Election Commission, Fleckenstein answered: “Unfortunately, Albania has a history of contested elections. It seemed that the newly adopted legislation would make contested elections a thing of the past. Albania seemed to be on the rights track towards political stability. That’s why the European Commission recommended to give Albania the European Union candidate status, although not all reformed were delivered. The Commission recommended the implementation of a main condition, and the European Council confirmed it: Albania needs to show maturity by holding free and honest elections. It is very disappointing for Albania’s partners in the European Union that the political parties are putting at risk this important test for Albania”.
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