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Albanian Helsinki Committee, Albanian
Human Rights Group, Center for Parliamentary Studies,
Open Society Foundation (SOROS), Society for Democratic
Culture, Center for the Protection of Children's Rights
in Albania, the Coalition for Encouraging the
Participation of Women, Youth, and Minorities in
Politics, the Center for Legal Civic Initiatives, the
Forum of Free Thought, the Albanian Institute for the
Development of Election Systems
Tirana, January 18 2007
APPEAL
To all
political parties in Albania and their candidates for
mayors or commune chairpersons
We, the signatories of this appeal,
applaud the solution of the political crisis that had
engulfed the country, the improvement of the political
atmosphere that threatened the holding of local
elections in the country and Albania's image in thw
world.
Elections for local government bodies
will be held on February 18, 2007. The electoral
campaign, although not yet official, has really started.
Our organizations call upon political
parties and their candidates to conduct a legal,
respectable, and mannerly campaign.
The candidates of various political
forces should not speak to voters with a language of
hatred, with mutual accusations going as far as charges
for involvement in criminal activities. In their
meetings and other events, candidates should address
issues related to the best alternatives to take further
what has been achieved so far and to resolving problems
of concern to citizens and the country.
From the experience of past years, often
candidates have taken upon themselves things they could
not accomplish, or promised things that were really
unachievable.
We demand from you more transparency and
a worthy competition, through the presentation of
alternatives and a far-sighted vision for the
development of cities and communes, which would help
resolve citizens' problems in Albania. In that context,
the ethics of communication between candidates and
citizens is an important element of democracy.
We demand from you that you respect human
rights in general and children's rights in particular
during the electoral campaign. Political parties and
their candidates should take measures to avoid the use
of children as a background for the electoral campaign.
Free and fair elections are an important
test for Albania's future and the country's integration
into the European Union and into NATO. In order to
accomplish such a major goal, we believe political
parties in Albania and their candidates can make a
valuable contribution.
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