SETimes.comGlover: vote "pivotal" for Albania's future
24/06/2009
ODIHR mission head Audrey Glover shares her views on electoral reforms, media coverage, and the stakes for Albania in holding a fair and democratic vote this Sunday.
By Manjola Hala for Southeast European Times in Tirana -- 24/06/09
Ambassador Audrey Glover heads the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) observation mission for the June 28th election in Albania. The following interview with Southeast European Times contributor Manjola Hala was conducted prior to the June 18th car bombing that killed Christian Democratic party official Aleksander Keka.
Southeast European Times: What changes do you note in the Albanian political environment since 1996?
Audrey Glover: The OSCE/ODIHR has monitored numerous elections in Albania since 1996. There have been many positive changes in this country and in the election law and the election process since then. Previous reports on elections in Albania reflect these changes. We hope that the progress made in previous elections will be further consolidated on June 28th.
SETimes: Keeping in mind the debates among the two main political parties regarding the issue of ID cards, do you anticipate that citizens will be able to fully exercise their right to vote?
Glover: ODIHR in previous reports recommended the introduction of a form of voter identification that is not open to abuse, as well as a modernised civil registry. We are pleased to see that the new electoral code provides for a voter register that is based on a national computerisation of the civil registers and a system of ID cards that will be a form of identification for these elections. We understand that ID cards are a very contentious issue. It is vital that all possible efforts are made to provide eligible voters without a valid passport with ID cards so that they can exercise their right to vote.
SETimes: How would you assess the steps Albania is taking to render democratic and fair elections?
Glover: Some important steps have been taken to hold elections which will comply with OSCE commitments. The new electoral code agreed to by both the main parties has provided for a new voters list and ID cards. In addition the inking of fingers of those who have voted with visible ink and the photographing of the count are all positive steps. What we will be looking for in this election is that the playing field is level for all the candidates and that all the components who contribute to an election should play their part. One of the most important aspects of the electoral process is to see that everyone who is eligible to vote should be able to make an informed choice and vote freely. In addition, we will want to know that voters are assured that their vote will be protected and that the voters and all the political parties have confidence in the system.
SETimes: Have the political parties behaved ethically towards each other during the campaign? How would you assess their overall conduct?
Glover: There have been some examples of strong language in the campaign, including accusations of corruption leveled by different sides. However, in general such cases of strong language have been few during the campaign period.
SETimes: What has media coverage of the political parties and their campaigns been like? Has it been fair?
Glover: OSCE/ODIHR media monitoring for the period from the start of the official campaign on May 28th until June 10th indicates that two of the five monitored broadcasters devoted a fairly equal amount of airtime to the main two parties. However, these two and one other broadcaster showed bias in terms of the tone of the coverage. The Media Monitoring Board bases its assessment whether broadcasters comply with the provisions of the Electoral Code on the campaign coverage only on figures about the amount of time devoted to political parties. Without assessing the tone it is not possible to establish whether broadcasters provide the pluralism of information, as stipulated by law.
SETimes: What is at stake for Albania, and Southeast Europe as a whole, if the country does not succeed in holding fair and democratic elections on June 28th?
Glover: Clearly, these elections are pivotal for Albania's future, both in terms of the country's further democratic development as well as the process of integration into European structures. Our role is to observe these elections in an impartial and objective way and report our findings. It is then up to others -- in Albania, in Brussels and in the capitals of the other participating states -- to draw the political conclusions on the basis of our assessment of these elections.