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Prevent Incidents
Rigorously Abide By the Law
12.02.2007
We are six days away from the
February 18 elections and election campaign
incidents persist.
The Albanian Helsinki Committee
is of the opinion that the irritated atmosphere
has urged and encouraged to some extent, even
indirectly, extreme militantism by certain
persons or groups. In a number of cases, the
campaign has been accompanied by hate speech
that candidates or political party
representatives use toward their political
opponents.
The incidents that have occurred
during the election campaign have become an
obstacle to the normal and legal conduct of
electoral propaganda. The arbitrary tearing down
and removal of posters, insults and threats
toward certain candidates, interventions into
the activities of this or that subject, are
phenomena that call for serious consideration.
AHC is of the opinion that the
campaign is an important part of the electoral
process, which is finalized on election day.
From that standpoint, incidents of this nature,
on the eve of the vote, tension the situation
and may have a negative impact on free and fair
elections. That is the reason why AHC calls upon
all subjects to contribute to an alleviation of
this situation by abiding by the Code of Conduct
and by distancing and condemning phenomena that
run counter the goal of these elections meeting
the required standards.
AHC also deems it necessary to
call upon the depoliticized bodies of the State
Police, pursuant to their duties in keeping with
the law, to prevent acts that harm public order
and citizens' rights and provoke rifts and
conflicts. In such cases, particularly during
the election campaign, their frequent and
unbiased interventions are indispensable.
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