Partial local elections

The President decreed that the elections for the three local units in which leaders have resigned before running for Parliament Members should also be held on June 23rd , but this decision has put the Central Election Commission in difficulties.

This decree decided that the voters of Bulqize, the voters of the Tirana Municipal Unit no.1 and the Thumana residents in Kruje will vote on the same day for the new Parliament and the new local leaders. Besides everything else, the Central Election Commission doesn’t have time to even print the ballots.

For the opposition, the fact that the President decreed this act on May 31st is also unclear about the respecting of the legal deadlines as stated by article 10 of the Electoral Code.

The Presidency did not answer to Top Channel about the date when they received the resignation of the local leaders, and if they have implemented the 48 day deadline dictated by the law.

This leaves only seven days of campaign to the candidates, creating this way the precedent of the shortest electoral campaign in the Albanian election history.

Genc Gjonçaj, SP: When was the President notified?

Chairwoman of the Central Election Commission, Lefteri Lleshi: It’s not our job to know this.

Gjonçaj: We need to know. Why do the candidates have so little time left? When has this ever happened?

Lleshi: Regardless the deadlines, the candidates are on equal conditions.

The Central Election Commission passed the act for “displaying the electoral campaign in private radio and televisions made available by the electoral subjects”.

The Socialist Party representative asked the Central Election Commission to pass an instruction that leaves the media the right to refuse pre-edited materials. The decision taken by the four members rejected this proposition.

Top Channel