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OSCE Presence in Albania welcomes approval of Electoral Code amendments
TIRANA 10 January 2005
TIRANA, 10 January 2005 - The OSCE Presence in Albania welcomes the approval of the amendments to the Electoral Code by the Assembly of the Republic of Albania, with 92 votes in favour and 10 votes against.
"The Assembly's approval of the amendments to the Electoral Code demonstrates the political will to fulfil the recommendations by the OSCE/ Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Council of Europe and to meet democratic standards at the 2005 elections," said Ambassador Pavel Vacek, Head of the OSCE Presence.
"However, although the approval of the Electoral Code amendments is a positive step, the most important challenge, remains the correct and full implementation of the provisions," said Vacek. "There simply are no technical or legal means that can substitute for the political will and dedication by all parties, candidates and all responsible officials to hold elections that are credible, uncontested and in accordance with international standards."
The amendments approved by the Assembly address most of the joint recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR and the Council of Europe/Venice Commission relevant to the 2005 parliamentary elections. These tackle issues related to the organization and functioning of the Central Election Commission (CEC) and middle and lower level commissions; voter lists, the rules for setting up electoral zone boundaries, complaints and appeals; and electoral campaign financing.
As a major change to the present Electoral Code, the new code foresees that the counting procedure will be conducted centrally, in the 100 Zone Electoral Commissions. This will enable a much more thorough observation of the counting process to be carried out by political parties, NGOs and international observers.
The OSCE Presence provided technical assistance and expertise to the Technical Expert Group on Electoral Reform (TEG), which produced the draft amendments to the Albanian Electoral Code.
"The Assembly's approval of the amendments to the Electoral Code demonstrates the political will to fulfil the recommendations by the OSCE/ Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Council of Europe and to meet democratic standards at the 2005 elections," said Ambassador Pavel Vacek, Head of the OSCE Presence.
"However, although the approval of the Electoral Code amendments is a positive step, the most important challenge, remains the correct and full implementation of the provisions," said Vacek. "There simply are no technical or legal means that can substitute for the political will and dedication by all parties, candidates and all responsible officials to hold elections that are credible, uncontested and in accordance with international standards."
The amendments approved by the Assembly address most of the joint recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR and the Council of Europe/Venice Commission relevant to the 2005 parliamentary elections. These tackle issues related to the organization and functioning of the Central Election Commission (CEC) and middle and lower level commissions; voter lists, the rules for setting up electoral zone boundaries, complaints and appeals; and electoral campaign financing.
As a major change to the present Electoral Code, the new code foresees that the counting procedure will be conducted centrally, in the 100 Zone Electoral Commissions. This will enable a much more thorough observation of the counting process to be carried out by political parties, NGOs and international observers.
The OSCE Presence provided technical assistance and expertise to the Technical Expert Group on Electoral Reform (TEG), which produced the draft amendments to the Albanian Electoral Code.