[ALBSA-Info] OSCE Unhappy With Albanian Election Preparations

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

OSCE Unhappy With Albanian Election Preparations

By Benet Koleka

  
TIRANA, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in 
Europe (OSCE) said on Thursday it was disappointed with preparations for 
Albania's general election due later this year. 

Gerard Stoudman, director of the OSCE election watchdog, the Office for 
Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), urged Albanian parties to 
stop playing "political games." 

"My conclusions are that the level of election preparations so far is 
disappointing," he told a news conference. 

"I would like to note that, since the last elections, most shortcomings 
highlighted have not been addressed nor have ODIHR recommendations been 
implemented yet." 

Albanian politics has been bitterly polarised since the country plunged into 
anarchy in 1997 after the collapse of fraudulent investment schemes wiped out 
the life savings of hundreds of thousands of the impoverished Balkan state's 
people. 

A Socialist-led coalition has governed the country since a snap general 
election in 1997. The opposition Democratic Party of former President Sali 
Berisha has boycotted parliament for most of the time since. 

Stoudman said the authorities should immediately start to update the voter 
register in a more transparent manner before the next election expected in 
May or June. 

Procedures for complaints to the Central Election Commission need to be 
clarified and the courts need a better understanding of their role than they 
had shown during last October's municipal elections, he added. 

International observers, including the ODIHR, concluded that the municipal 
elections were generally fair but there had been some irregularities. 

The ruling Socialists won a landslide victory across the country but the 
Democrats, alleging widespread fraud, refused to accept the results. 

Stoudman said failure to conduct proper elections would deter much-needed 
foreign investment. 

"The October elections were good. The parliamentary elections have to be 
better not only for the sake of democracy but for the signal that Albania is 
sending to the rest of Europe," he added.