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REPORT ON
THE FIRST ROUND OF MONITORING
THE
PRE-ELECTORAL PROCESS FOR THE
LOCAL ELECTIONS OF FEBRUARY 18, 2007
Tirana, February 13, 2007
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The Albanian Helsinki
Committee (AHC) is engaged in monitoring the
progress of the pre-electio process in some
electoral areas of municipalities in Tiranė,
Gjirokastėr, Fier, Durrės, Elbasan, Shkodėr,
Vlorė, and Korēė, and of communes of
Dropullit, Cepos and Odries, Belsh, Cėrrik,
Shirgjan, Bradashesh, Labinot Fushė,
Drenovė, Gjergjan, Spitallė and Shkozet.
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The object of this monitoring
included: announcement of the preliminary
and final voter lists according to the
deadline defined by law, their posting in
public areas, visible and accessible by
voters, voters’ interest in the lists,
exercise of the right to complain against
list irregularities, monitoring of electoral
campaign elements, establishment of the
voting center commissions and the training
of their members.
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AHC is of the opinion that
the progress of the electoral process in
keeping with the law and according to
required standards powerfully influence the
exercise of the right to vote and the
conduct of elections according to the
required standards.
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The announcement of the
preliminary and final voter lists showed
problems. Delays in the announcement of the
lists varied between 5 and 9 days and, until
January 30, 2007, there were voting centers
whereby the lists had not been announced. As
a consequence, the time for acquainting
voters with them and, therefore, complaints
with local government unit heads and courts
were reduced.
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The final voter lists were
not announced at the established deadline
(February 8, 2007) in most monitored LGECs.
Voters’s opportunity to verify names on the
lists and address the court was limited
further.
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In general, posting of the
preliminary and final voter lists was done
in visible places. Nevertheless, some
municipalities and communes featured
problems. In some areas, the lists were
posted in internal premises of schools,
kindergartens, private bars, post offices,
etc., which cannot be seen at all throughout
the day or remain closed for the most part
of the day, thus denying voters the right to
verify names on the lists. This situation
was encountered in many municipalities and
communes.
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There were cases when lists
were posted in inappropriate places and were
difficult to read because of posting in high
and distant places, in small letters, not at
all readable and verifiable by voters, etc.,
or were posted in unprotected places and the
lists were torn down. The preliminary voter
list in Fier appeared to be the final voter
list for the July 3, 2005 elections.
Changing places in which preliminary lists
were posted remained a problem as many
citizens are used to the places for posting
voter lists. In some cases, private bar
owners did not allow the posting of lists in
their premises for several reasons,
including payment.
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Voters’ interest in the
preliminary voter lists was very low and
this was noticed almost in all monitored
ares. The elderly showed higher interest in
checking the voter lists posted in the
established places.
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Our monitors notified us that
voter interest is relatively low even for
the final voter lists. There may be numerous
reasons. Maybe be they are convinced their
names are on the list. The possibility that
they are not aware of legal procedures
regarding voter list corrections may not be
ruled out.
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Delays in the posting of
preliminary and final voter lists bear
harmful consequences. There are 4-5 days
left until election day. Voters need to be
acquainted with these lists and, if
necessary, exercise the right to complain;
otherwise, they will not be able to vote.
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Voters’ legal education and
their awareness are low. Although television
spots to educate citizens on elections,
something initiated by the CEC, were
frequent, we think they were not accessible
and understandable for all, particularly
considering amendments to the Electoral Code
and voting documentation. Although AHC
published a considerable number of leaflets,
supplements in three daily newspapers,
written in simple language on election
issues and provided explanations on various
voting aspects, it is our view that such
activities are not sufficient.
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Almost all monitored
municipalities and communes included persons
complaining that they did not find their
names on the lists. This was mainly noticed
in municipalities of Gjirokastėr Vlorė,
Korēė, Shkodėr, and Tiranė. However,
citizens did not have the proper information
to file complaints – a request to the mayor
or chairperson of the local government unit
or commune. The number of registered
complaints was low in all monitored
municipalities and communes. Their
resolution, in most cases, encountered no
problems, because they were typin errors in
the name or family name, the birthday, name
and family name, etc. In some cases, some
municipal units refused to provide
information about the number of complaints.
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In some areas, it was noticed
that lists contain added names, names of
dead persons, names of persons who have
moved to different cities. This was noticed
in the Commune of Drenovė – Gjirokastėr, in
some areas of Tiranė, etc. The fact that
members of same families find their names in
different voting centers remains a problem.
This was particularly found in Tiranė and
Durrės.
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Based on monitoring and
meetings with voters, it results that many
voters are not clear about amendments made
to the Electoral Code with regard to the
birth certificates issued before and after
November 1, 2006. In our opinion, the most
problematic is the procedure to be followed
by voters who have birth certificates issued
before November 1, 2006. There is an urgent
need for print and broadcast media outlets,
non-governmental organizations, and all
those tasked directly or indirectly with the
elections to make these issues clear to
voters during the remaining days before
election day. Individual, door to door work
could be most effective. Otherwise, on
election day, we may be faced with
unpleasant and intolerable cases.
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Civil registry offices are
working extended hours. However, long lines
are noticed particularly in Vlorė and Korēė.
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Important elements of the
electoral campaign are posters and the
facilitation of their posting. In general,
posters have been posted not only in places
assigned by the local government bodies, but
mostly in other unassigned places. Many of
them, posted on inappropriate places, have
been torn down. Posters of one candidate
have been posted on those of another
candidate. This was noticed in almost all
electoral zones that were monitored. The
posting and removal of posters has become
causes for incidents between supporters of
different political parties.
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AHC is monitoring the
candidates’ campaign. Generally speaking,
the second part of the campaign includes
display of alternatives, but it also
includes hate speech, violation of the right
to privacy, exaggerated promises whose
realization is not up to local government
bodies. There are incidents with campaign
ads. Although local government bodies, by
law, assign public places for ads – such
decisions should be respected. There is
marked fanaticism and militantism, which
make the electoral environment conflicting.
Candidates of different political parties
have used counter-ads for their campaigns.
In some electoral constituencies, there have
been cases of senior officials pressuring
their subordinates to vote for a given
coalition.
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Financial transparency for
the electoral campaign is yet to be made
public. It is our impression that the
campaign is associated with extensive
spending and candidates are not fulfilling
the legal obligations and the Code of
Conduct they have approved.
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Generally, local government
election commissions (LGECs) have
functioned. There are some, however, whose
members were not at the assigned place of
work.
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With regard to their
functioning, there are also other disturbing
problems that necessitate fast solutions,
particularly with regard to abiding by the
law and disobeying party orders. Political
parties play a very important role in
overcoming some of the problems and
conflicting situations. The irreplaceable
role of election commissions, tasked by law
to administer elections, should not be
underestimated. If they demonstrate
professional deficiencies, if their members
act like party members and under party
dictate (as has often happened in the past),
it will be difficult to achieve required
standards in the elections of February 18,
2007.
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Yesterday, on February 12,
2007, the CEC rang the alarm bell: VCCs that
should have been established ten days before
the election date have not been set up in
most of the country because political
parties have not submitted respective
proposals to the VCCs. There is a total of
4,721 voting centers throughout the country,
which will include 66,094 members and
secretaries. It is not known when these
commissions will be set up and, therefore,
when and how, or whether their training will
be possible.
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Political parties talk and
make statements that elections will be held
in such a way as to achieve international
standards. In spite of these statements, the
fact that the basic voting commissions have
not been set up and the fact that the
possibility for their training will be very
limited, albeit formal, cannot but have a
negative impact on meeting the standards.
Amendments made to the Electoral Code, as is
known, have increased and made more delicate
the role of VCCs in this electoral process.
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Vote counting groups are also
another very important problem. According to
CEC instructions of 18.01.2007, respective
electoral subjects should submit their
proposals for the makeup of these working
groups to VCCs 10 days before the election
date, and today, four days before the
election date, such proposals have not been
submitted.
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Failure to set up vote
counting commissions (by law, these groups
should be set up 2 days before election
day). Approximately 35,000 persons should be
identified, verified, and trained to be
members of these commissions. The lack of
training or hasty, formal training harm the
achievement of standards. It should suffice
to mention that the vote counting group
member should, among other things, be
familiar with that part of the law that
talks about what is considered a valid
ballot and what is considered an invalid
one. We should keep in mind that the number
of invalid ballots in the previous election
was relatively large.
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Political parties, for
different reasons, continue to withdraw or
replace LGEC members they have proposed.
Consequences of such movements are harmful
because replacements remain untrained.
Therefore, we call upon political parties to
act seriously and be responsible in
assessing this situation.
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Voter turnout is a moment
that requires special attention.
Comprehensive awareness raising work is
required. To this extent, it is our opinioin
that relatively little is being done.
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Yesterday, on February 12,
2007, AHC deemed it necessary to issue a
public statement regarding some incidents
that have taken place during the campaign.
We may only say that such incidents tension
the political situation and may be
accompanied by harmful consequences. The
engagement of political parties and of State
Police forces could contribute to their
prevention.
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The print media and its role
in electoral campaigns is very important.
Based on the monitoring of some print media
outlets during the period January 20 –
February 12, 2007, it has resulted that:
main political party newspapers, of the
government and the opposition,
systematically use the language of
accusations and hatred. Published stories
often launch continued accusations of
deceipt, corruption, stealing, and abuse of
power against candidates for local
government bodies. Hate speech is mainly
concentrated on the two main candidates for
Tirana Municipality.
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In the context of coverage
for the election campaign, hate speech has
made its way into non-political newspapers
too. They convey concerns noticed in the
campaign, mutual accusations between
candidates, and incidents. The print media
has not devoted appropriate attention to
problems with the voter lists.
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On the eve of the election
day, political will leaves much to be
desired. It may not be the magical wand for
resolving issues, but, on the other hand,
violations of the law cannot achieve or
demand free and fair electiosn within
international standards.
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