OSCE publishes report on Albanian elections

23/05/2011

TIRANA, Albania -- The OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights criticised the Central Elections Commission (CEC) in a report Friday (May 20th) regarding the May 8th local elections. The Office says the vote count was dominated by a lack of trust among political parties that often blocked the process. Media coverage was praised, the report noting that Tirana's tight mayoral race was followed closely by journalists.

Preliminary results from the CEC suggested that three-time Mayor Edi Rama had won another term. Despite a request by his opposition Socialist Party to publish the final results, the CEC has not, the report points out, adding that the CEC's decision to count votes cast mistakenly in the wrong boxes was divisive to the various parties. The election law does not specify how those votes should be handled, and it had never happened before in such a tight race. The OSCE report also notes problems caused by opposition-led protests against the CEC decision to count those votes as valid.

As of late Sunday, the CEC announced that Rama's opponent, Democratic Party candidate Lulzim Basha, was ahead by 80 votes. Opposition lawmakers and their supporters continue to protest outside the CEC offices. (News 24, Alsat, Vizion, Klan - 22/05/11; Balkan Web, Shekulli, Ora News - 21/05/11)

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