'Det ser ud som om vi har tabt - og at Sali Berisha og hans samarbejdspartnere har vundet. Men der er nogle problemer som må afklares før det endelige valgresultat kan siges at foreligge, og det tager Den Centrale Valgkommission sig af. Indtil da fortsætter regeringen som forretningsministerium. Hvis Berisha har vundet, gratulerer vi ham med sejren og træder selv sagt tilbage.'

The President of the Republic, Alfred Moisiu answering to the media inquiries regarding the influence of the post-electoral situation on the tourism sector, stated: “I heard a few hotel owners in some television channels complaining about the drop in tourists’ numbers in our country because of the elections. Albania is going through a normal state. During the meeting that I held yesterday with directors of the Army, Attorney General, State Police and Intelligence Service I was informed about the calm situation in the country. I gathered them in fact in the light of the events in London and about the security measures in the country. I issued the respective advices and they assured me that they are controlling the situation. That is why there is no reason of concern to the tourists. They are welcome. Albania has its doors open to all the tourists wherever they might come from, from Kosova and Macedonia, etc.”

Talking about the elections, Mr. Moisiu stated: “We are a democratic country, a European country and we demonstrated this. The elections were very good. After the voting day there were contestations. The respective constitutional organs are handling these contestations and there is nothing extraordinary about that. Naturally we must be careful; we must not issue contesting declarations, be them from the government, or be them from other political forces because there are people with bad intentions who invest to create precedents. We must aware of these kinds of people.

Nothing is happening. The spread of the epidemic of complains is not a good thing, because this prolongs the results. But everything has entered in the path of legal solving. The Central Elections Commission is issuing the results and there are four zones remaining. Praising the Central Elections Commission that took measures against the commissioners of the number 2 zone, President Moisiu stated that: “I do not exclude shortcomings and problems and that is why we have the Central Elections Commission and the Electorate Panel. Not everything can be bought, not everybody can be pressured and not everybody can be frightened when he is exercising his duty in a professional measure. This is an achievement of the Albanian society. Now everything has entered the legal norms, in normality.”

Regarding the event in Has where there is no information for about 48 hours about the doctor Behar Kastrati, the head of the Democratic Party of this area, President Moisiu stated that since yesterday the police and the experts are investigating in the place and that he is being informed every four hours about this problem.


Amerikansk-Albansk-Makedonsk flådeøvelse i Adriaterhavet 11.-30.7.. Der holdes jævnlig øvelser i Adriaterhavet; det lidt usædvanlige er (måske?) at der også er Makedonske enheder med i en øvelse på disse kanter. Den Amerikanske Ambasssde skriver 11.7.:

U.S., Albanian, and Macedonian forces will participate in the Adriatic Engagement 2005 military exercise during July 11-30 in the Adriatic Sea. As part of the on-going multi-lateral military-to-military relationship, this most recent in a series of annual exercises will develop individual and collective combat proficiencies and promote friendship, mutual understanding, and cooperation with NATO and regional allies.

Nearly 1,500 U.S. Navy and Marine Corps personnel, three Albanian infantry platoons and helicopter support, and a Macedonian combat engineer platoon and special forces, will participate in field exercises, search-and-rescue scenarios, casualty evacuation rehearsals, and maritime interception operations.

The participating U.S. forces include amphibious assault ship USS Saipan (LHA 2), rescue and salvage ship USS Grasp (ARS 51), Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit EIGHT (EODMU 8), Helicopter Support Squadron FOUR (HC 4), Marine Corps Security Force Company Europe, and Commander, Task Force SIX SEVEN (CTF 67).

Joint exercises, such as the Adriatic Engagement 2005, promote security cooperation efforts that foster regional stability, advance multinational interoperability, and deter potential adversaries – all invaluable contributions to the international fight against terrorism.


Interview med Sali Berisha 12.7.

Den Græske avis »Kathimerini« har 12.7. bragt et interview med Sali Berisha. Journalisten siger at Berisha under valgkampen har optrådt på en helt anden måde end tidligere. Berisha bekræfter at han har ændret sig og at han har fået rådgivning fra fremtrædende forskere. Nogle af dem der tidligere har forladt partiet er vendt tilbage og har fået fremtrædende poster i det Demokratiske Parti, siger han.

Nano har opført sig som kaptajnen på »Titanic«, siger Berisha. Til det sidste hævdede han at alt var i den bedste orden. Når Nano tabte var det fordi dette var åbenlyst forkert - og fordi han selv og Demokraterne havde noget bedre at byde på vedrørende beskæftigelsen, kampen mod korruptionen og kriminaliteten - og med hensyn til en kommende optagelse i EU.

Journalisten er særlig interesseret i relationerne til Grækenland og til det Græske mindretal i Sydalbanien. Berisha kender den Græske præsident, Karolos Papoulias, og den Græske premierminister, Costas Karamanlis, personligt og ønsker at stå sig godt med Grækenland. Det vil være til gavn for Albanien med et tættere samarbejde, og han håber at Græsk erhvervsliv vil investere i Albanien.

Berisha har henvendt sig til det lille Græske minoritetsparti og tilbudt dem at blive medlem af sin regering, men har endnu ikke fået svar.

Mht Kosovo vil Berisha ikke anfægte de udtalelser som fremtrædende Kosovo-Albanske politikere er fremkommet med, på den anden side må man konstatere - siger han - at den Albanske majoritet har gjort for lidt for at komme overens med Kosovo-Serberne. Det skyldes naturligvis at Albanerne var blevet undertrykt af Serberne, men ikke desto mindre bør man sadle om og gøre i Kosovo som Albanerne gør med den Græske minoritet: Albanerne og den græske minoritet kommer fint ud af det med hinanden.

Berisha vil ikke trække de Albanske tropper ud af Irak eller Afghanistan. Han støtter Bush's politik: I support the Bush dogma, the declaration of freedom and democracy.


[Tirsdag 12.7.2005] Jozefina Topalli, der er næstformand i Det Demokratiske Parti, har på en pressekonference sagt at Demokraterne vil indbyde tre partier, der hidtil har samarbejdet med Socialistpartiet, til et nærmere samarbejde. Det drejer sig dels om Menneskerettighedspartiet (PBDNJ - HRUP), dels om Paskal Milo's Socialdemokrati (til forskel fra Skënder Gjinushi's) og om Agrar- og Miljøpartiet der ledes af Lufter Xhuveli. Både Milo og Xhuveli har haft ministerposter i Socialistisk ledede regeringer.

Hvis et eller flere af de nævnte partier modtager indbydelsen (hvad der er sandsynligt) vil det naturligvis styrke Berisha mandatmæssigt og gøre Nano's nederlag endnu større, men det vil også gøre Berisha's regering mere »salonfähig« i en international sammenhæng.


SET skriver at Socialisterne og Socialdemokraterne langer ud efter de formentlige »afhoppere«:

Socialist Party (SP) Organisational Secretary Petro Koci and Social Democratic Party (SDP) chairman Skender Gjinushi lashed out Wednesday (13 July) at three former SP allies that appear likely to join a coalition with the Democratic Party (DP), which won the 3 July parliamentary elections. The two officials said that the Party for Social Democracy, the Agrarian Environmentalist Party and the Union for Human Rights Party -- all firmly from the left of the political spectrum but planning to move to the right -- are engaged in "vote trafficking".


Valgresultater: Der vil gå mindst nogle uger før de indleverede klager er behandlet og den retlige efterprøvning er afsluttet. Indtil da kan Parlamentet ikke godkende en ny regering. Nano's regering vil snart erfare at den kun kan fungere som forretningsministerium - og at ingen vil fæste lid til beslutninger der rækker ud over hvad en Berisha-regering kan tænkes at ville acceptere.


Kommentar fra kommissær Olli Rehn, EU: Olli Rehn har sagt til »Deutsche Welle« at valget 3.7. (trods dén kritik man kan rettes imod det) har været et positivt skridt i forholdet mellem EU og Albanien. ADN skriver: »Albania has removed one of the critical barriers for the conclusion of negotiations on the Stabilization and Association Agreement, the chief-commissioner for EU enlargement, Olli Rehn told Deutsche Welle«.


[14.7.2005] Hvem kommer til at sidde i den nye regering? Der forhandles intenst. Ifølge »Shekulli« må det forventes at Demokraterne vil sætte sig på de tungeste poster, at der bliver nogle tunge poster til de forskellige ssamarbejdspartnere - men at de små partier især vil blive tilgodeset med vice-ministerposter og poster som præfekter rundt i landet.




Ridvan Bode


Demokraterne ventes at besætte posterne som Premierminister (Sali Berisha) Vicepremierminister (Ridvan Bode - pt Generalsekretær hos Demokraterne), Finans- & Økonominister (Genc Ruli) og Udenrigsminister (?). Forsvarsministeriet eller et andet højtplaceret ministerium på dét niveau vil muligvis gå til Genc Pollo. Fatmir Mediu fra Republikanerne bliver meget tænkeligt Parlamentsformand (en post som den nuv. næstformand Joezefina Topalli ellers var tippet til at skulle overtage).

Genc Ruli (iflg: http://www.ics-al.org/): University degree in economics and law. Professor Doctor of Economics. For more than 13 years has been professor of Finance and Accounting in the University of Tirana. From 1991 to 1993 has been Minister of Finance and Minister of Finance and Economy in all Albanian Governments of this period. From 1994 to 1996 has been Chairman of the Permanent Parliamentary Commission for Finance and Economy. Since 1992 is the Chairman of Governing Board of Albanian Institute of Insurance (INSIG). Actually, is Professor of Accounting at the Faculty of Economics, University of Tirana. Key qualifications: finance, accounting, economic analyses, economic legislation.





[14.7.2005 kl. 11:00] Præsident Moisiu har haft møde med Politidirektøren, Chefanklageren og Chefen for Efterretningstjenesten. Præsidentkontoret skriver:

The President of the Republic, Alfred Moisiu gathered today before noon the Attorney General, Theodhori Sollaku [nr. 3 fra v], the Head of State Intelligence Service, Bahri Shaqiri [nr. 2 fra v] and the General Director of Police, Director Bajram Ibraj [yderst tv].

During the talks, the Head of State stressed that under the conditions of prolonging the post-electoral situation there might be revitalizing of crime and it is required a maximal seriousness in the fight against it. Pausing on the concrete criminal acts that have occurred lately such as the murder of the Republican Party observer, the murders of the gang in Lushnja, the disappearance of the Democratic Party head in Has, President Moisiu demanded the implementation of the laws and required positive results from the work of these structures. It was pointed out that there is no room for concern by the employees of these structures and that the cooperation level among them must be increased to catch the crimes’ authors and to eradicate their criminal bases. Mr. Moisiu demanded penal penalties for every administration employee that touches the official documentation and the respect of the legal obligation to safeguard the state secret.

On their part, the Attorney General, the heads of the State Intelligence Service and State Police informed the Head of State about the measures that have taken on the above mentioned cases and in general.

-

Z. Moisiu kërkoi ndjekje penale për çdo nëpunës të administratës shtetërore që prek dokumentacionin zyrtar si dhe respektimin e detyrimeve ligjore për ruajtjen e sekretit. Nga ana e tyre drejtuesit e Prokurorisë së Përgjithshme, SHISH dhe Policisë së Shtetit informuan kreun e shtetit për masat e marra për rastet e mësipërme dhe në tërësinë e tyre.

Fordelingen af de proportionelle mandater

[14.7.2005] Den Centrale Valgkommission har besluttet at fordele de proportionelle mandater, for de manglende tal fra de resterende 3 problemkredse vil ikke ændre billedet. Det talmæssige resultat blev meget nær dét som har kunnet ventes (og beror på hvilke partier der har været med i et forbund og hvilke ikke).

Venstresiden (incl. 3 partier der er på vej mod højre): 22. Højresiden: 18

Venstresiden (excl. 3 partier der er på vej mod højre): 14. Højresiden: 26.

Republikanerne (Højresiden)	11
Socialdemokraterne (Venstresiden)	7
Ny-Demokraterne [Reformdemkoraterne] (Højresiden)	4
Integrationssocialisterne (Venstresiden)	4
Agrar/Miljøpartiet (på vej fra Venstre- til Højresiden)	4
Demokratisk Alliance (Venstresiden)	3
Menneskerettighedspartiet (på vej fra Venstre- til Højresiden)	2
Ny-Socialdemokraterne (Milo) (på vej fra Venstre- til Højresiden) [Partiet stoppede midtvejs]	2
Kristelige Demokrater (Højresiden)	2
Liberaldemokrater (Højresiden)	1
I alt	40

[14.07.2005] The Central Elections Commission announced the final results declared by the decisions of Zone Election Commissions for the winning candidates, and the election results for parties and coalitions according to the ZECs decisions.

The ZECs results include 98 zones for parties and coalitions, as the zones 2 and 92 are missing, since in these cases no decisions were taken by the respective ZECs and 97 zones for candidates because the ZECs decisions on the zones 2, 64 and 100 are missing.

According to the decisions of ZECs, the candidates of the Democratic Party have won in 55 election zones, the candidates of Socialist Party in 40 election zones, one candidate of the SMI and an independent candidate have won one election zone. The decisions on the wining candidates of the election zones 2, 64 and 100 shall be taken during the examination process of the requests on the invalidity of elections.

The preliminary assessments show that the results of the proportional in the zones 2, 64 and 100, do not influence the configuration of proportional mandates for the Assembly of Albania. The allocation of mandates by the proportional results show that the Republican Party shall win 11 seats, the Social-Democrat Party 7 seats, the New Democrat Party 4 seats, SMI 4 seats, Agrarian Environmentalist Party 4 seats, Democratic Alliance 3 seats, Human Rights Union Party 2 seats, Social Democracy Party 2 seats, DemoChristian Party 2 seats and Liberal Democrat Union 1 seat.

The post-election complaint process has ended, even though it has been quite a voluminous and intensive process. The Central Elections Commission has examined 303 complaints, out of which it has taken decisions for 108 cases, the rest is given back for completion and is no more re-filed with the CEC.

The Central Elections Commissions starts today the examination of requests on the invalidity of elections. The deadline of submitting the requests on the invalidity ended last night, at 24.00 hrs, and 107 requests on the invalidity in various zones of the election territory have been submitted.

Nr	Parti	Forkortelse	Stemmetal	Pct
1	Aleanca Demokratike	AD	65.061	4,8
2	Partia Demokrate e Re	PDR	100.357	7,4
3	Partia Demokristiane e Shqiperise	PDK	44.478	3,3
4	Partia Republikane	PR	271.729	20,1
5	Levizja Socialiste per Integrim	LSI	113.404	8,4
6	Levizja per Zhvillim Kombetar - Leka I Zogu	LZHK	46.174	3,4
7	Partia Agrare Ambientaliste	PAA	88.605	6,5
8	Partia Balli Kombetar	PBK	22.583	1,7
9	Partia Bashkimi per te Dnejtat e Njeriut	PBDNJ	55.046	4,1
10	Partia Demokratike	PD	104.587	7,7
11	Partia Socialdemokrate e Shqiperise	PSD	172.111	12,7
12	Partia Socialiste e Shqiperise	PSSH	121.142	8,9
13	Bashkimi Liberal Demokrat	BLD	14.380	1,1
14	Levizja per te Drejtat dhe Lirite e Njeriut	LDLNJ	9.017	0,7
15	Partia Balli Kombetar Demokrat	PBDK	7.616	0,6
16	Partia Bashkimi Demokrat Shqiptar	BDSH	7.367	0,5
17	Aleanca per Mireqenie dhe Solidaritet	AMS	4.670	0,3
18	Partia Aleanca Socialiste Shqiptare	PASSH	6.568	0,5
19	Partia Demokracia Sociale e Shqiperise	PDSSH	57.919	4,3
20	Partia Demokratike Demokracia e Re e Djathte Shqiptare	PDDRDSH	1.792	0,1
21	Partia Komuniste e Shqiperise	PKSH	8.901	0,7
22	Partia Lidhja e Blerte Shqiptare	LBSH	1.710	0,1
23	Partia Levizja Monarkiste Demokrate Shqiptare	PLMDSH	774	0,1
24	Partia e Punes e Shqiperise	PPSH	9.284	0,7
25	Partia e Sigurise Kombetare Shqiptare	PSHSK	568	0,0
26	Partia per Drejtesi dhe Integrim	PDI	16.012	1,2
27	Partite Shqiptare Sociale dhe Partia e Unitetit Kombetar	PSHS+PUK	3.255	0,2
	I alt [som tallene forelå fra Den Centrale Valgkommission, da den udmeldte fordelingen af de proportionelle mandater]	-	1.355.110	100,0

Mjaft har 14.7.2005 udsendt pressemeddelelse om valgresultatet ift prognoserne og om relationerne til de to Gallup'er - se nedenfor


OSCE har udtalt sig i anledning af Valgkommissionens meddelelse 14.7.:

VIENNA, 14 July 2005 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, expressed hope that the election process in Albania will be concluded quickly following the completion of the declaration of results and that a new Assembly and government will start work soon.

"The results of 3 July elections are now officially declared, after many days of hard work by the Central Election Commission," said Minister Rupel, who is following the process with close attention.

"I hope the election process will be completed in an orderly and speedy fashion, according to Albanian law and in compliance with international standards, all the way up to the declaration of the final results".

"I call on all parties to fully respect the decisions of the competent Albanian institutions, in particular the Central Elections Commission and the Electoral College, which should deal professionally, impartially and resolutely with all election irregularities, complaints and appeals and must not be subjected to pressures," the Chairman-in-Office added.

Minister Rupel said it was important for Albanian democracy that a new Assembly should become functional as soon as the election process is completed and that a new government should take office soon.

"The OSCE, including its Presence in Albania, stands ready to continue assisting Albania in furthering electoral reform, following the recommendations of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)," he said.




På billedet ses bl.a. Demokraternes næstformand Jozefina Topalli fra Shkodra og Sali Berisha, oprindelig fra Tropoja, men valgt i Tirana-området. Længst th: Ridvan Bode. »Rilindja Demokratike« er Demokraterne's avis.


[18.07.2005] EU: Rådet (RÅDET FOR DEN EUROPÆISKE UNION) har udtalt flg.:

EU udtrykte tilfredshed med den generelt fredelige afvikling af valget i Albanien den 3. juli, der er en vigtig test for, om landet er parat til yderligere EU-integration. Det noterede sig imidlertid, at der er en række mangler, som skal afhjælpes, således at de ikke dukker op igen fremover. Rådet udtrykte sin tilfredshed med OSCE/ODIHR og så frem til den endelige rapport. Rådet opfordrede alle politiske ledere og partier til at udvise ansvarlighed og fuldt ud respektere den albanske forfatning, valglov og adfærdskodeks under hele valgprocessen og dannelsen af en ny regering. Når den nye regering er dannet, skal den sammen med parlamentet gå i gang med arbejdet omgående og med et ægte engagement i en klar og stærk reformdagsorden for europæisk integration, herunder navnlig på områder i forbindelse med retsstatsprincippet.

Rådet mindede om, at Kommissionen til efteråret vil udsende sin årlige periodiske rapport om stabiliserings- og associeringsprocessen i Albanien. Dette vil give lejlighed til at vurdere, hvorvidt forhandlinger om en stabiliserings- og associeringsaftale kan afsluttes i lyset af de samlede fremskridt med hensyn til demokratiske standarder og reformer på nøgleområder. Rådet bekræftede atter, at det fortsat er besluttet på at støtte Albanien i landets bestræbelser på at nærme sig EU, og understregede, at nøglen til yderligere fremskridt ligger hos de albanske myndigheder.

OSCE/ODIHR har udsendt INTERIM REPORT 3

INTERIM REPORT 3

4–14 July 2005

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• Following the issuance of a preliminary statement of findings and conclusions on 4th July, the OSCE/ODIHR EOM has continued its observation of the next steps of the electoral process, with a particular focus on the counting process, as well as on the handling of complaints and appeals.

• While in many zones the vote counting process proceeded relatively smoothly, in others it was protracted, disorganised and in some cases contentious. In three election zones, ballots from one or more voting centres were not counted.

• Significant delays also occurred during the tabulation of results. On occasions this was attributable to the near exhaustion of election officials. However, in other zones delays resulted from political disputes. Observers reported instances where election officials obstructed the process and placed party interests before their duties to serve as impartial election administrators and to count and report votes in an honest manner.

• Some 280 appeals against Zone Election Commission (ZEC) decisions concerning election results have been filed with the Central Election Commission (CEC). In addition, the CEC will consider around 100 requests to invalidate part, or all, of the elections.

• Preliminary results issued by the CEC show that electoral strategies described in previous EOM reports have been implemented and smaller parties involved with the main two parties prior to the election have received significantly more votes at national level than their weight in the outgoing parliament would suggest. It is however not possible to quantify the effect of these strategies.

• Some parties have alleged that votes were not counted accurately. Specifically, the Socialist Movement for Integration (SMI) and some small parliamentary and non-parliamentary parties have claimed that either their own votes were attributed to other parties or that votes cast for the Democratic Party (DP) or the Socialist Party (SP) were counted in favour of allied parties or coalitions.

• The OSCE/ODIHR EOM will retain a small team of experts to follow the election process until its completion. They will pay particular attention to the adjudication of complaints and appeals.


II. MISSION INFORMATION

On 4 July, the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission (EOM), together with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the European Parliament issued a joint Statement, reflecting its conclusions and findings up to and including election day.

The OSCE/ODIHR EOM has continued its observation activities, focussing on the counting of votes, their tabulation and the announcement of results. In addition, the EOM has been following the process of the CEC’s adjudication of a large number of appeals against ZEC decisions. The OSCE/ODIHR EOM will continue its observation of the handling of complaints and appeals until the process is completed, and offer a comprehensive assessment of the process, including recommendations for future improvements, in its Final Report.


III. ELECTION ADMINISTRATION

The Counting of Votes and Vote Tabulation at ZECs

After the close of voting, ballot boxes were transferred to 100 Counting Centres, where the votes were counted. OSCE/ODIHR observers submitted reports from 97 Counting Centres, although they were not present continuously in all of those observed.

Observers’ overall assessment of the counting phase, up to the end of 4 July, indicates that the process was considered reasonably well organised in 86% of observers’ reports. However, many counting teams were appointed late and were insufficiently trained. Although many counting teams performed their tasks efficiently, the counting process in 14% of zones was poorly organised. In addition, observers reported that in a significant minority of zones (15%), counting teams, which were nominated by political parties, did not undertake their tasks impartially. Almost none of the ZECs were able to complete the vote count and official tabulation of the results within the legal deadline of 17:00 hrs. on 4 July.

Many observers reported that the distance they, and other observers, were required to remain from the counting tables lessened their ability to observe the process effectively. In some 20 zones, observers reported that the process lacked transparency.

As the vote count proceeded, disputes over the validity of ballots arose frequently and discrepancies were noted between the number of voters having been recorded as casting ballots and the number of ballot papers counted. Disputes between ZEC and counting team members frequently led to disruptions and interruptions in the counting process. It is of particular concern that during the counting of votes, observers noticed serious irregularities in eight zones, while others received allegations that votes for particular parties were not being counted according to the choices made by voters.

The Announcement of Results

From election night, the CEC released preliminary election results based on information received from ZECs. However, a relatively large number of ZECs did not provide the CEC with preliminary results as frequently as requested. Initially, the CEC relied on individual tabulation sheets received by fax; later, the CEC based the preliminary results on aggregate tables of results sent by ZECs.

In the first days following the elections, the CEC released results for many single mandate elections (hereafter ‘candidate results’). However, ZECs experienced a noticeable delay in announcing the results for the party-list election (hereafter ‘party results’). By the end of 6 July, the CEC had declared approximately half of the candidate results. In approximately 20 zones, observers reported that either the count was not yet complete or that ZECs had not completed the tabulation of results for either the candidate or party results, or both. In some cases, delays were attributable to fatigue, as ZEC and counting group members worked for days with insufficient rest. In other cases, delays were the result of the counting teams’ or ZECs’ refusal to count the ballots or walkouts by election officials.

The ZEC in election zone 2 ignored a CEC decision ordering them to complete the vote count. [Note: 1 Two ballot boxes remain uncounted. On election day, a relatively large number of voting centres in this zone did not open.]

The CEC fined each ZEC member ALL 90,000 (approximately €730) and on 7 July decided to dismiss all seven ZEC members and to initiate criminal proceedings against them. Other ZECs which refused to count ballot boxes from individual VCs included ZECs 64 and 73, who sent these ballot boxes to the CEC without opening them and counting the ballots. The members of ZEC 64 were fined 80,000 ALL each (approximately €650) for not counting all ballot boxes.

Several ZECs, for example in zones 36 and 43, requested new aggregate tables from the CEC, claiming that the originals had been used by counting teams by mistake or were illegible due to corrections of clerical mistakes. The CEC decided to provide ZECs with new tables upon request, but only after the ZECs had returned the original tables to the CEC. Significant problems during the tabulation were also reported by EOM observers in a number of other election zones. In some zones, the CEC had to send inspectors or regional coordinators to resolve problems with the count of the tabulation.

By the afternoon of 8 July, aggregate results for candidates were still missing for eight zones, and party-list results, from nine zones. By 11 July, three ZECs had not sent the aggregate tables of results for the single mandate contest and two had not reported aggregate results for the party-list election.

The Socialist Movement for Integration (SMI), the Movement for National Development (MND), the Democratic Alliance Party (DAP) and the Social Democracy Party (SDY), among others, have alleged that votes for their parties were intentionally attributed to other political parties. They also alleged that some votes cast for the Democratic Party (DP) were attributed to parties of the right-wing Alliance for Freedom, Justice and Welfare (AFJW) and that some votes cast for the Socialist Party (SP) were recorded for some of the parties in the outgoing governing coalition, in particular for the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Preliminary results issued by the CEC show that electoral strategies have been implemented and smaller parties involved with the main two parties prior to the election have received significantly more votes at national level than their weight in the outgoing parliament would suggest. It is however not possible to quantify the effect of these strategies.


IV. POST-ELECTION APPEALS

The Legal Framework

The Electoral Code permits electoral subjects (candidates, political parties and coalitions) registered with the CEC to appeal against a ZEC decision on the tabulation of the election results. These appeals must be filed with the CEC no later than two days after the day the ZEC took a decision on the results. Providing that the appeal is submitted on time and meets other legal requirements, the CEC must adjudicate the appeal within ten days. Any delay by a ZEC to take a decision on the election results could protract this stage of the appeals process.

In addition to hearing appeals on ZEC decisions regarding election results, the CEC can also consider requests to invalidate an election at an individual voting centre, an election zone or zones, or the entire election. Elections can be invalidated by the CEC if: (1) there were violations of the law; (2) a natural disaster happens; or (3) the voting did not begin or was suspended for more than six hours and if the electoral process has been affected to such a degree that it may have impacted the allocation of mandates in the election units or on a national level. [Note: 2 Source: Article 117 of the Code (see Albanian version) permits the CEC to invalidate elections even if there is no potential impact on the allocation of mandates. However, in such a case, the election is not repeated.] A request for invalidation must be filed within ten days of the date of the elections. [Note: 3 If the CEC receives a request to invalidate the results in an election zone and also an appeal against a ZEC decision on the election result, then the CEC firstly adjudicates the request to invalidate the result. The CEC must consult with the respective ZEC before taking a decision to invalidate the results in an election zone.] Where the elections are invalidated, the CEC should order the holding of a re-run election. [Note: 4 The Election code requires the CEC to repeat the election in the entire electoral zone (see Albanian version).] All re-run elections in all electoral zones should take place on the same day, which must be no later than four weeks from the day of the CEC decision to re-run the election. The Electoral Code only permits the re-run of the election zone contests. While the CEC is able to invalidate part of the party-list election, those parts of the party-list election which have been invalidated are not repeated.

The CEC takes decisions on appeals against ZEC decisions on election results or requests to invalidate elections by qualified majority of five of its seven members. If the appeal or request does not receive this majority, it is considered ‘rejected’. Electoral subjects can appeal the CEC’s decision to the Electoral College, provided that it is submitted no later than five days after the CEC’s decision. The Electoral College, which consists of eight judges chosen by lottery from a pool of all appellate judges, decides cases in panels composed of five members also chosen by lottery. The Electoral College has ten days to adjudicate an appeal.

Observers will closely follow the appeals process, devoting particular attention to how the Electoral College fulfils its obligation to provide written decisions describing the evidence and reasons supporting the decision. The EOM will also devote particular attention to whether political parties interfere with, or fail to respect, the principles of judicial independence.

Adjudication of Appeals

By 13 July, some 281 appeals against ZEC decisions on election results had been filed with the CEC [Note: 5 Of these, 54 were filed by the DP or parties in the AFJW coalition; 92 appeals were filed by the SP or parties in the outgoing governing coalition; 21 appeals were filed by the SMI; and 114 appeals were filed by all other parties.] Of these, 96 were not considered because they were not submitted in the correct legal format or past the deadline. The remaining 185 appeals have been adjudicated, apart from four which have been suspended pending a ruling on a request to invalidate zone election results. The CEC accepted two appeals, against the decisions of ZECs 35 and 37, where the majority of ZEC members voted against the aggregate table of results. As of 13 July, seven appeals have been filed with the Electoral College. Two were rejected for procedural reasons. The Electoral College has suspended hearing one appeal while it awaits for evidence it has requested from the CEC. The other appeals are scheduled to be heard on 16 July.

The CEC has received a total of 107 requests to invalidate election results. Seven of these were not in the correct legal format and were not considered. Most of the remaining 100 requests to invalidate elections concern specific zones [Note: 6 Of the 100 pending requests to invalidate, 43 were filed by the Coalition Albanian Social Parties and Party of National Unity, 36 by the SP, 10 by the DP, 3 by the SMI, 2 by the HRUP, and one each by the New Democratic Party, Democratic Alliance, Demo-Christian Party, Labour Party, Communist Party, and an independent candidate (EZ 100).] However, two request the invalidation of the party-list election in all 100 zones. The CEC started hearing requests to invalidate an election on 14 July.

Many of the appeals filed with the CEC lack merit. However, the CEC appeared to be deciding many appeals hurriedly, without taking the time necessary to consider all the evidence requested by parties. The CEC has yet to review the contents of a ballot box, which some parties believe will substantiate their claims that votes for the party-list election were not counted honestly in some zones. Although the ballot recount provisions were removed from the law in January 2005, the Code still permits the CEC discretion to recount or re-evaluate ballots if it feels this is necessary in order to make a decision on an appeal.


V. TIMEFRAME TO CONVENE THE NEWLY ELECTED PARLIAMENT

The Electoral Code provides that the CEC takes a decision on the final election results only after the adjudication of all outstanding appeals, including those heard by the Electoral College. The decision must be taken no later than three days from the day the CEC receives all official data from election commissions and the courts. The final election results, as announced by the CEC, include the results for each of the single-mandate election zones as well as the number of supplementary mandates allocated to party lists.

The Constitution provides that the President of Albania calls the first session of the newly elected Parliament “no later than 20 days from the conclusion of the elections”. If the President fails to call this meeting, then the Parliament ‘convenes itself’ no later than ten days after the expiry of the 20-day deadline. The mandate of the Parliament elected in 2001 continues until the first meeting of the incoming Parliament.

Pursuant to Article 106 of the Constitution, the current Prime Minister and ministers retain their offices until the appointment of the new Council of Ministers. Article 96 of the Constitution requires that “at the beginning of a legislature (sic)”, the President appoints the Prime Minister on the proposal of the party or coalition of parties that has the majority of seats in the Parliament. The President’s appointment of Prime Minister is subject to approval of the Parliament. Under Article 98, a minister is appointed by the President on the proposal of the Prime Minister. The President’s decree on appointment is reviewed by the Parliament within ten days.


[19.7.2005] Den Centrale Valgkommission udtaler:

The CEC – The III interim report of OSCE / ODIHR, a complete view of post-election developments

[19.07.2005] The Central Elections Commission highly appreciates the role of the Election Observation Mission of OSCE / ODIHR and other international organizations in the framework of elections to the Assembly of Albania.

The Central Elections Commission states that the third interim report of Election Monitoring Mission of OSCE / ODIHR gives a complete view of the post-election conducts in regard to the ballot counting process and the process of complaints filed with and examined by the CEC.

The Central Elections Commission declares that the great number of post-election complaints and then of requests on the invalidity of election, have posed the CEC to a difficult situation regarding the decision-making within restricted deadlines, provided for in the Electoral Code of Albania.

However, as it is described in the third interim report of Election Observation Mission of OSCE / ODIHR, most of complaints filed with the CEC lack merit, while the examination of requests on the invalidity of election is in its first steps.

The Central Elections Commission is focused on the transparent and legal adjudication of requests on the invalidity of elections and will fairly reflect in regard to the suggestions given by international experts on elections.


Det trækker ud med at afholde første møde i det nye Parlament. Ifølge Forfatningen skal første møde indkaldes af Præsidenten og afholdes senest 20 dage efter afslutningen af parlamentsvalget; men indkaldelsen kan ikke ske, når det er usikkert hvem der er medlemmer - og hvem der ikke er medlemmer. Afslutningen af parlamentsvalget er noget andet end afholdelsen af Parlamentsvalget, og udtrykket - afslutningen - er valgt med omhu. Det springende punkt er med andre ord hvornår Den Centrale Valgkommission kan erklære valget for afsluttet. Jf. Præsident Moisiu's fortolkning 26.07.2005. Nedenfor følger et citat fra OSCE/ODIHR's rapport og artikel 67 i Forfatningen:

The Electoral Code provides that the CEC takes a decision on the final election results only after the adjudication of all outstanding appeals, including those heard by the Electoral College. The decision must be taken no later than three days from the day the CEC receives all official data from election commissions and the courts. The final election results, as announced by the CEC, include the results for each of the single-mandate election zones as well as the number of supplementary mandates allocated to party lists.

-

Article 67

1. The newly elected Assembly is called to its first meeting by the President of the Republic no later than 20 days from the conclusion of the elections.

2. If the President of the Republic does not exercise this power, the Assembly must convene itself within 10 days from the end of the term provided in paragraph 1 of this article.


[19.07.-20.07.2005] PM Fatos Nano og Blendi Klosi har hver især udtalt sig om den aktuelle situation. Nano understreger at Regeringen er i funktion og opfordrer Sali Berisha til ikke at etablere en parallel regering. Klosi udtaler at Socialistpartiet er enig med OSCE/ODIHR-rapporten i at man skal afvente tingenes rette gang og han opfordrer Den Centrale Valgkommission til ikke at bøje sig for politisk pres.


[21.07.2005] Den Centrale Valgkommission har afvist klagen fra nuv. økonomiminister Anastas Angjeli. Ylli Pango er derfor valgt i kreds 38 (Tirana) og Angjeli ikke længere medlem af Parlamentet.


[21.07.2005] »Shekulli« skriver at Paskal Milo's 'nye' Socialdemokrater ikke vil gå med i Sali Berisha's kommende regering. Man har drøftet Berisha's invitation grundigt i Partiledelsen, men finder ikke at der er tilstrækkelig store muligheder for at fremme partiets socialt orienterede politik i en Demokratisk ledet regering. Man vil fortsat arbejde for at Albanien kommer til at indgå i de 'euro-atlantiske strukturer' og man vil gøre hvad man kan for at bekæmpe korruptionen. (Milo's parti vil formentlig - ligesom Ilir Meta's Integrationsparti - lægge sig i en slags midterposition mellem Socialisterne og Demokraterne).




Albanske Politikere på besøg i Portugal i slutningen af 2003. Fra venstre: Eric Filipink (OSCE), Mustafa Muçi, Vangjel Dule, Anastas Angjeli, Jozefina Topalli, Ilir Zela og Fatmir Mediu. Foto: OSCE


[23.07.2005] Demokraterne (Berisha) har afsluttet en første forhandlingsrunde om dannelsen af en ny regering med De Kristelige Demokrater (Lesi), Ny-Demokraterne (Pollo), Republikanerne (Mediu) og Menneskerettighedspartiet (Dule). Der foreligger ikke noget om en regeringsaftale eller om fordeling af poster.


[25.07.2005] Den Centrale Valgkommission har kasseret kredsafstemningen i zone 2. Der skal derfor afholdes omvalg dér på et senere tidspunkt. Desuden er afstemningen om proportionelle mandater kasseret forskellige andre steder (hvilket ikke får konsekvenser for resulatetet) - ligesom der er afvist yderligere nogle klager. Kommissionen skriver:

[25.07.2005]The CEC decided today to announce the invalidity of elections for single-member zones in election zone no. 2. The CEC decision establishes re-run of the elections for candidates in all the polling stations of this zone, 70 polling stations with a number of 22,466 voters. The election process failed to be held in 19 polling stations of this zone on July 3d, 2005. The date of elections re-run will be set by the CEC at the end of the appeal for the invalidity of elections in the Electoral College of Tirana Court of Appeals.

The Central Election Commission decided to declare the invalidity of the results for electoral subjects (the proportional ones) in 19 voting centers of ZEC no. 2, 2 voting centers in zone 8 and in all the voting centers of Zone 92. The results of the above Voting Centers are not included in the table of allocation of supplemental seats by the CEC and do not influence the result of political parties and coalitions.

The CEC also decided to reject the claims for invalidity of elections in Zone 15 and 24.


[26.07.2005] Omvalg i kreds 64? ADN skriver:

The Central Election Commission (CEC) decided Tuesday that voting should be repeated in constituency 64 in Lushnje, west Albania, arguing irregularities had seriously affected the region's results in the July 3 parliamentary polls.The request for voting repetition was filed by the Socialist candidate, Et'hem Ruka and that of the Democratic Party (DP), Ilir Bano, though the latter had a slight advantage over his contender.


[26.07.2006] Præsident Moisiu's juridiske rådgiver - Artur Metani - har holdt pressemøde om hvornår Parlamentet skulle træde sammen. Han sagde at efter hans opfattelse skulle Parlamentet træde sammen senest 20 dage efter valgets afslutning [hvilket svarer til fortolkningen lidt højere oppe]. Nominering af ny Premierminister vil ske i forbindelse med det første møde i det nye Parlament. Første møde kan muligvis finde sted 10.08. Præsidentkontoret har udsendt flg.:

Lately there have been various interpretations expressed by different individuals and by the media regarding the deadlines of the new Assembly gathering by the President of the Republic. First of all, I can say that it would have been more responsible by the politicians and by these individuals that express their views in public to better consult the law which they have approved and to have more correctness in the relations with the President of the Republic. For this reason I would like to clarify about the deadline of the Constitution on the gathering of the Assembly of Albania.

The Article 67 of the Constitution determines that “The newly elected Assembly is called on its first session by the President of the Republic no later than twenty days from the end of the elections.” The issue is what will we consider as the end of the elections: the date July 3, therefore the day when the voting process ended, or the end of the elections is a wider process than the voting on July 3? I think that the end of the elections does not include only July 3, but also the electoral process in its entirety, therefore the electoral campaign, the voting day, the decisions issued by the Electoral Zoning Commissions, the decisions of the Central Electoral Commission, the complains in the Electoral Panel and the process ends with the issuing of the final decisions on the complains by the Panel. The answer to this question is provided also by the Electoral Code, which in its Article 29 foresees that: “The Central Electoral Commission declares the final result of the elections countrywide based on the results issued by the EZC-s and after the conclusion of the review of the complains in the court. The declaring of the results is done no later than three days from the date when the Central Election Commission receives all the data from the zoning commissions and the judicial decisions.

Thus if we talk about concrete deadlines, the discussions on the gathering of the Assembly can start after the conclusion of this process, around August 10. I say August 10, because the Central Election Commission should have concluded the reviewing process of the complains before the deadline foreseen by the law, before July 23. However, CEC is continuing its work and I believe that in a few days it will conclude the reviewing of its cases. It must be said that these are maximal deadlines and perhaps the complains in the Electoral Panel and the process in general ends quickly. After the conclusion of the reviewing of the complains in CEC, every electoral party has a five days deadline to present the complain to the Electoral Panel and then it is the panel that must take a decision in ten days. After the last decision of the Panel, the Central Election Commission must declare the final result of the elections in three days. Therefore, after the reviewing of the last case by the Central Election Commission this week, there do remain another eighteen days to have the result of the elections.

Question: Can the President nominate the leader of the party that has won the majority of the Assembly as the prime minister?

Answer: The Constitution determines in the Article 96 that: “The President of the Republic nominates the prime minister in the beginning of the legislature.” In my juridical concept, the beginning of the legislature is the fist day of the Assembly; therefore after the Assembly is gathered then the negations for the prime minister and the new government can start.


[26.07.2005] Lufter Xhuveli Præsident i 2007? Det forlyder at Miljøpartiet der ledes af Lufter Xhuveli vil få et par viceministerposter i den kommende Berisha-regering, nemlig i landbrugs- og miljøministerierne. Desuden har Berisha lovet at støtte Lufter Xhuveli's kandidatur som præsident, når den nuværende præsidents valgperiode udløber i sommeren 2007.


[27.07.2005] Ben Blushi, Socialisterne, udtaler sig selvkritisk iflg. ADN:

The Socialist Party (SP) did not conduct an adequate fight against the corruption phenomenon and did not coordinate its actions with the left-wing junior allies leading to a higher number of mandates in Parliament for the right-wing coalition, the Minister of Local Power and Decentralization, Ben Blushi said Wednesday.




[29.07.2005] De Internationale handler efter at der i øjeblikket er to Regeringer, en Nano-regering og en Berisha-regering. Orsalia Kalantzopoulos - der leder Verdensbankens Albaniens-aktiviteter (og andre aktiviteter i SØ-Europa) - har været på besøg både hos Vicepremierminister Namik Dokle og Finansminister Malaj (billedet ovenfor) - og kommende Premierminister Sali Berisha (billedet nedenfor).




[29.07.25] Dertil kommer at Præsident Moisiu har tilkaldt Finansminister Malaj og nogle af hans Direktører for at indskærpe at lovgivningen skal håndhæves, her mht virksomhedsbeskatningen. Muligvis er det Malaj der har bedt om mødet for at demonstrere politisk legitimitet, selv om der står at mødet blev indkaldt af Præsidenten? Efter mødet udsendte Præsidentkontoret flg. meddelelse:

  

The President of the Republic, Alfred Moisiu called in a meeting the Minister of Financing, Arben Malaj, the General Director of Taxations, Ardian Kamberi and also the commanded Director of Customs, Genc Çeli.

The Minister of Finances, the directors of taxations and customs informed President Moisiu about the progress of the economic development in the country, the fulfillment of the economic indicators and also the work being carried out by the institutions that they head.

On his part, President Moisiu stressed the importance of continuing the work with high responsibility by the taxations and customs, which are two very important pillars of the state. Especially the taxation and customs administration must fulfill with responsibility the given objectives in accordance to the law. “Already, – stated President Moisiu, – must be clear that the elections are held according to the Constitution and the laws have their own continuity and are drafted to be implemented. No one must think that this prolonging of the post-electoral period, which is legally allowed, can allow deviations from the legal, taxing and customs obligations.”

All those cases that avoid paying the fees at the customs must be face penal consequences for both the customs officials and also the businessmen.


Sali Berisha siger at han vil danne en Regering med 80 mandater i ryggen; Socialdemokraternes Skender Gjinushi mener at der efter omvalg i 4 kredse kan dannes en slags midterregering uden om Nano og Berisha, som han siger begge er skyld i den politiske krise. Makfax skriver bl.a.:

The Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha said Thursday that Democrats and ethnic Greek party have agreed to build a coalition thus providing 80 seats in 140-member Albanian Parliament.

Berisha said the consent to build a coalition with the ethnic-Greek Party for Human Rights came after the Democrats decided to hand over the Ministry of Labor & Social Policy to ethnic Greek party. Vangel Dule of the Party for Human Rights is likely to take up the post of Labor & Social Policy Minister.

On the other hand, Social Democrats leader Skender Gjinushi claims the new Albanian government can be formed without the leaders of the leftists and rightists, Fatos Nano and Sali Berisha, due to results of re-vote in four electoral districts slated for Sunday.

Gjinushi said the pre-election analyses show a significant lead of small pro-leftist parties, thus the leftist-rightist balance in the Albanian Parliament can be achieved with 71 to 73 MEPs from the two blocs.

Gjinushi lodges strong criticism against Socialists leader Fatos Nano and Democrats leader Sali Berisha, holding them accountable for the major political crisis that the country is undergoing.


[02.08.2005] Præsident Moisiu har anmodet partierne (muligvis især Socialisterne) om at undlade at lægge pres på den Centrale Valgkommission og at respektere dens afgørelser. ADN skriver:

President Alfred Moisiu urged political parties to stop exerting pressure on the Electoral College of the Court of Appeals and accept the decisions ruled by it, official sources form the presidency were quoted Tuesday by local media as saying."Parties must respect the law and contribute to the enhancement of the judiciary independence from politics," sources quoted the President as saying.


[02.08.2005] Demokraternes Jozefina Topalli siger at det har negative konsekvenser for Albanien at det trækker ud med valgets afslutning. I mellemtiden forhandler Demokraterne videre om dannelsen af en ny regering - pt er det Ny-Demokraterne (Genc Pollo) man taler med. SET skriver bl.a.:

The Democratic Party (DP), which won the 3 July parliamentary elections, warned on Monday (1 August) that delays in finalising the election process are creating "an institutional vacuum". According to DP deputy leader Jozefina Topalli, this is demonstrated by a post-election rise in economic crimes, including tax evasion, and a drop in state income.


[02.08.2005] OSCE har offentliggjort et interview som »Tirana Times« har taget med OSCE's Ambasssadør, Pavel Vacek. Interviewet kan downloades fra: http://www.osce.org/item/15887.html. Vacek siger ikke meget om valget, men henviser til allerede offentliggjorte og til kommende rapporter fra ODIHR. Nedenfor et par citater, dels om 'valg-taktik', dels om OSCE's rolle:

6. It appears that we will have unexpected results. For example, the party, which, according to results announced by the CEC, is to form the new government, won less than ten per cent of the votes, while, some other party, which has never managed to cross the parliamentary threshold since it was founded, has received 20.5 per cent of the votes. Is this due to a faulty electoral system and or Code?

First, you are talking about the results in the proportional vote which only distributes 40 out of 140 seats in the Assembly. Second, the strategic voting schemes, or the "Dushk" schemes, have been sufficiently explained in ODIHR reports and their possible effects have been demonstrated. The OSCE, the EU and other international actors encouraged Albanian parties to be transparent with their Dushk schemes. Political parties made use of what the system allowed, some more and some less efficiently. It is not the Electoral Code itself which should be blamed. Let us see if the political parties will have the will to develop safeguards against the abuse of the system in the next round of electoral reform. How to do that will also depend on the electoral system opted for.

7. Do you believe that the so-called Mega-Dushk phenomenon distorted the real will of the electorate?

It is up to the Albanian voters to tell. After all, it is they who cast the ballots. I can see the debate unfold in the media. Of course, people ask themselves the question if it is fair to see parties who were below the threshold of eligibility in opinion polls end up with several seats in the Assembly.

11. Will the OSCE be leading a new electoral reform for future elections? What would this reform actually consist of?

We are ready to assist if we are wanted. The reform should primarily address the conceptual issue – what system the parties want. That is entirely an Albanian affair. The technical questions, including the language of the legislation derive from the concept opted for. The current system can be further improved; a purely proportional and purely majoritarian system would each entail a different set of technical problems to address. Further improvement of voter lists, better procedures for vote counting, possibly also out-of-country voting are the issues which should be addressed irrespective of the choice of the electoral system.


[050805] OSCE har offentliggjort et ATA-interview med Pavel Vacek, OSCE Ambassadør i Albanien:

Albanian Telegraphic Agency, 5 August 2005

Interview of the Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Ambassador Pavel Vacek

Journalist: Marsjola Duro

1. Given all the information on the election process provided so far, do you think that the 3 July 2005 parliamentary elections are acceptable?

* Its not up to me to pass such judgement but to the Albanian institutions, the Central Election Commission (CEC) and the Electoral College. Their decisions should be respected. The ODIHR Elections Observation Mission will produce their final report approximately a month after the final results are declared, but its not their practice to pass a verdict on – as you put it – the acceptability of elections.

2. You have declared that the election process has not ended yet. What do you expect to change until the final election results are declared?

* The election process continues indeed because the Electoral College and the CEC continue adjudicating the complaints and appeals. The Electoral College is to complete their adjudication of appeals. The CEC has to set the date for the re-runs of elections. Re-runs seem to be likely, I stress, seem to be likely in a limited number of zones. Hopefully, there will be no irregularities in the election re-runs -and consequently no complaints and appeals -which should allow the CEC to declare the final results without further delay.

3. The local political establishment, the international actors and the Presence have already recognized that the last general elections marked a step forward. What is this step?

* For me, the biggest step forward has been made by the Albanian voters, who exerted their right to vote in impressive numbers and have been patiently waiting for the completion of work by the CEC and the College. The increased respect for the law and institutions is a clear sign of progress, of civic discipline. Of course, the overall detailed assessment of the elections will have to be provided by the ODIHR/EOM and is bound to draw a mixed picture of good and bad things.

4. What do you think about the role of the political leadership in the post-election period in the country?

* I hope they have been well advised to follow the attitude of the citizens, that is to respect the law and the election institutions.

5. The current electoral law and the Presence have drawn criticism from the smaller parties and the media. Do you think that this law would still be good if Albania would hold elections again in the future?

* Even if the political representation opts for retaining the current law, there is work to be done to further improve it. There have been international recommendations from the past that have not been followed in the previous reform and there are further lessons emerging from the 3rd July and the vote counting process. However, I hear political parties talk of a departure from the current system based on the mix of majoritarian and proportional vote– in such case the next reform would be about more than just improvements of the current Electoral Code. These are issues for the new Assembly -we will be ready to assist.

6. What are the phases that the Presence is going to monitor from today until the new government will be formed?

* The election re-runs should be observed by international observers but its not the Presence which will be in charge of that. The ODIHR Election Observation Mission remains in charge, the Presence may provide them with technical support. I guess that domestic observer organisations will also be interested in re-activating for the reruns. I hope that re-runs will be free of irregularities of the 3rd July and of the vote-counting that followed.


[050809] Den Centrale Valgkommission har besluttet at der 21.8. skal være omvalg i 3 kredse: 2 (Shkodra-området), 64 (Lushnja-området) og 90 (Gjirokastra-området). Alle kredse der i tabellen nedenfor er noteret som 'Demokratiske'.

Kommentar: Selv om alle tre mandater skulle skifte farve fra blå til rød, ville det ikke ændre ved at Berisha har et flertal bag sig, men det vil gøre det endnu tydeligere at han skal anstrenge sig for at få sin koalition til at fungere. Koalitionen kan i nogen grad bringes til at fungere ved at Berisha 'deler ud til alle sider', men på afgørende politikområder - hvor der er uenighed mellem koalitionspartierne - skal han skabe mere komplekse kompromiser. Det er fortsat uden for rækkevidde for Fatos Nano at etablere en arbejdsduelig koalition med et flertal bag sig.

Hvad resultaterne vil blive af omvalgene er svært at spå om; måske vil Socialisterne få ét af mandaterne, Demokraterne to. Resultatet af valget 3.7. vil naturligvis spille ind: Nogle vil føle sig animeret til at styrke sejrherrerne, andre til at styrke Socialisterne. Nogle - fra begge sider - vil mene at det kan være lige meget at stemme, fordi det overordnede resultat ligger fast. Men hvad der især kan spille ind er at mange - der arbejdede i udlandet 3.7. - er i Albanien på ferie og derfor har mulighed for at stemme. Valgdeltagelsen 3.7. var generelt lav og i øvrigt også meget skæv, geografisk set. Oversigt og kommentarer kan findes på: http://bjoerna.net/sidste-nyt/265.htm#Valgdeltagelsen.


[050809] ADN skriver:

The repetition of elections in three constituencies do not constitute an impediment for the convention of the new Parliament. The President's political adviser, Afrim Krasniqi, said that for that it should be waited for the end of the complaints which the Central Elections Committee (CEC) is examining.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) in its Monday's meeting set August 21 as the date when the voting process will be repeated in three constituencies. Voting is to be conducted in constituency 2 in Shkoder, north Albania, where the Socialist Party (SP) candidate Pal Lera runs in front of the Democratic Party (DP) candidate, Astrit Bushati, in constituency 64 in Lushnja, west Albania, where the Socialist Et'hem Ruka runs against the Democrat Ilir Bano and in constituency 90 in Gjirokaster, south Albania where electors will choose between the SP's Makbule Ceco and the DP's Genc Ruli.


[11.-16.08.2005] På nuværende tidspunkt har Sali Berisha indgået skriftlige samarbejdsaftaler med Republikanerne der ledes af Fatmir Mediu, Menneskerettighedspartiet (PBDNJ - HRUP) der ledes af Vangjel Dule , Agrar- og Miljøpartiet der ledes af Lufter Xhuveli og De Liberale Demokrater (LDUP) der ledes af Arjan Starova. Starova er i øvrigt formand for Atlantsammenslutningen i Albanien (tidligere var det den nuv. Præsident, Alfred Moisiu).

Når Sali Berisha har været interesseret i at samarbejde med Menneskerettighedspartiet - der bl.a. repræsenterer medlemmer af den Græske Minoritet i det sydlige Albanien - skyldes det givetvis at han ønsker at vise at han er positivt sindet mht et samarbejde sydover. Han er hidtil blevet opfattet som skeptisk og negativ over for Grækenland, hvad der ikke har været helt grundløst.





Det ventes at der også snart indgås en aftale med Reformdemokraterne der ledes af Genc Pollo. Når denne aftale ikke allerede er på plads, skyldes det formentlig at Pollo ønsker en bedre betaling end Berisha umiddelbart har været parat til at give. Når Berisha er i gang med at indgå de andre aftaler har det flere formål; ét af dem er muligvis at presse Pollo. [16.08.] Demokraterne havde lagt op til at aftalen med Reformdemokraterne [De Nye Demokrater] skulle underskrives 16.0., men det forlyder at Genc Pollo har udskudt underskrivelsen af en endelig aftale enten af tekniske eller af taktiske grunde. [18.08.] Aftalen mellem Berisha og Pollo blev indgået i dag og præsenteret på et pressemøde. Reformdemokraterne får indflydelse på Regeringsgrundlaget og får posten som Undervisningsminister.

De Kristelige Demokrater - der ledes af Nikolle Lesi - får ikke nogen plads i Regeringen - hverken på Minister- eller Viceministerniveau - men får muligvis en Præfekt; Lesi er øjensynlig utilfreds.


Ministerposter: [19.08.2005] Regeringen får 14 ministerier. Politiministeriet og Decentraliseringsministeriet bliver slået sammen til et Indenrigsministerium. Berisha's samarbejdspartnere får 4 af Ministerposterne (foruden poster på lavere niveau): Arbejdsministeriet går til Menneskerettighedspartiet. Miljøministeriet til Agrar- og Miljøpartiet. Forsvarsministeriet til Det Republikanske Parti. Undervisningsministeriet til Reformdemokraterne.


Præsident Moisiu har foretaget forskellige sonderinger; han er tilsyneladende tøvende mht at indkalde det nye Parlament og vil muligvis vente til der foreligger et fuldstændigt resultat i slutningen af august - eller evt. først i begyndelsen af september. Sali Berisha ser gerne at Parlamentet indkaldes snart, mens Socialisternes Generalsekretær - Gramoz Ruci - mener Præsidenten bør vente til alle mandater er afklaret. Præsident Moisiu mødtes 16.08. med henholdsvis Sali Berisha og Gramoz Ruci. Efter mødet udsendte Præsidentkontoret flg.:

The President of the Republic, Alfred Moisiu, received on Tuesday in separate meetings representatives from the country’s two largest political parties, Democratic Party Chairman Sali Berisha and Socialist Party General Secretary Gramoz Ruçi.

The main theme of the talks had to do with the political developments in the country and the elections scheduled for Aug. 21.

President Moisiu expressed his concern with the prolonging of the electoral process and called on political parties to use their political stances to help in bringing a closure to the electoral process and the process of having new post-electoral Constitution-based institutions start their work.

The Head of State asked that political forces to react with calm and full accountability as well as to fully respect the Constitution, the laws and the will of the people expressed on July 3.

On their part, Mr. Berisha and Mr. Ruçi appreciated President Moisiu’s invitation to attend the meeting and the problems he raised.

They then expressed the views of the political parties they represent on the developments in the country and their will for holding calm and normal elections in the three electoral zones.


Socialdemokraterne's Skender Gjinushi hævder at Sali Berisha's Centrum-Højre Koalition bygger på et fiktivt grundlag, men det har han næppe ret i - selv hvis der i den kommende tid skulle blive flyttet nogle mandater, enten pga beslutninger i den Centrale Valgkommission eller pga omvalgene 21.8. Desuden mener han at det er umoralsk at Agrar- og Miljøpartiet er svinget over til Berisha, for Partiet har opnået sine stemmer på et andet grundlag.


Hvor er Fatos Nano? Efter sigende er han på ferie i udlandet. Vice-PM Namik Dokle tager sig af de daglige Regeringsforretninger, mens Socialisternes Generalsekretær, Gramoz Ruci, taler på partiets vegne.

[15.08.2005-19.08.2005] Fatos Nano er vendt tilbage fra 3 ugers ferie; han har været i Gjirokastra for at sætte gang i valgkampen i kreds 90, hvor Socialisternes Makbule Ceco er oppe imod Demokraternes Genc Ruli; senere har han været i Lushnja - og sidst har han været i Shkodra-området, hvor han i øvrigt rendte ind i en 'Demokratisk' demonstration. Nano skal have sagt (skriver »Shekulli«) at det gik så dårligt for Socialisterne 3.7., fordi de levede op til de Europæiske standarder, mens Demokraterne satte sig ud over dem. I øvrigt siger han (ifølge andre kilder) at Socialisterne vil kunne samle et andet flertal end dét Berisha er i gang med - hvis de vinder de tre mandater 21.8. ... Mon det er påstande Nano selv tror på? [20.08.2005] Noget tyder på at Nano nu er ved at forberede sin afgang, der skal være givet besked rundt til Ministerierne om at gøre klar til en overdragelsesforretning [og adskilligt af materialet på Premierministerens internetside er slettet ... - MEN: det dukkede op igen 21.08]


Blandt fremtrædende Socialister er der betydelig surhed over valgresultatet. Det gælder bl.a. nogle af de Ministre der ikke er blevet genvalgt, Angjeli, Islami og Toska. Man er bl.a. efter Ylli Bufi som var med til at forhandle ændringerne i valgsystemet, herunder vedrørende fordelingen af de 40 proportionelle Mandater.


[20.08.2005] Sali Berisha har - som Fatos Nano - været rundt i omvalgskredsene. I Gjirokastra har han talt om udbygning af vejen Tepelena-Cerrik-Tirane, og Kandidate, Genc Ruli, lover at Gjirokastra skal blive »a bijou of the national culture«.


Alliancer? Socialisterne så gerne at fx Ilir Meta's Integrationssocialister ville pege på Socialistiske kandidater ved omvalgene sådan som Socialdemokraterne vil. Det ser imidlertid ud til at Meta vil stille vælgerne frit (hvilket også svarer bedst til Meta's politik op til valget 3.7., hvor han distancerede sig tydeligt fra Socialistpartiet). Menneskerettighedspartiet har skiftet side og anbefaler at man stemmer på Demokraterne. Selv om Socialisterne sætter alle sejl til, er deres 'alliance' blevet svækket en kende, mens Demokraternes tilsvarende er blevet styrket.


[18.07.2005] USAs Ambassadør i Tirana, Marcie Ries, har på det senere haft møder med hhv. Præsident Moisiu og Demokraternes Leder, Sali Berisha. Desuden har den Engelske Ambassadør (og dén der pt repræsenterer EU-formandskabet) haft møde med Sali Berisha.


Omvalgene 21.08: Udskiftning af medlemmer i de lokale valgkommissioner? Socialisterne har forlangt at kommissionsmedlemmer fra Menneskerettighedspartiet erstattes med medlemmer fra DAP (Demokratisk Allianceparti); dette har den Centrale Valgkommission afvist; de pgl. er udpeget i overensstemmelse med reglerne, og man ønsker ikke at tilsidesætte dem.







Jørgen Grunnet besøger Præsident Moisiu i Dhërmi


Omvalgene 21.08: ODIHR's Missionschef Jørgen Grunnet er vendt tilbage til Albanien for at følge omvalgene, han har bl.a. haft møder med Sali Berisha fra Demokraterne, Udenrigsminister Kastriot Islami og Valentina Leskaj, begge fra Socialisterne; Fatos Nano er øjensynlig anderswo engagiert. ATA skriver bl.a.:

Foreign Minister Kastriot Islami asked today a greater presence and a more profound and qualified observation by international monitors not only on the voting day but also during the count and tabulation of the final result.



Valgdagen 21.08.2005 og derefter


POLICE-SENIOR OFFICIALS - THE POLICE OF STATE SENDS THREE SENIOR POLICE OFFICIALS TO ATTEND THE PROGRESS OF ELECTIONS IN THREE... 21/08/2005 10:39:12

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KREDS 2

PARTIAL ELECTIONS-SHKODER-3 VOTING CENTERS - VOTING HAS NOT STARTED YET IN THREE VOTING CENTERS OF CONSTITUENCY 2 IN SHKODER 21/08/2005 10:16:33

ELECTIONS-INTERRUPTION-KULLAJ-SHKODER - ELECTION PROCESS IN VOTING CENTER 86 OF SHKODER DISTRICT INTERRUPTED 21/08/2005 11:16:06

RESTART-VOTE-KULLAJ-SHKODER - THE ELECTORAL PROCESS IN BALLOT BOX NO. 86 HAS RESTARTED 21/08/2005 11:47:39

DEPUTY PREMIER DOKLE SAYS THAT 'VOTING PROCESS IN CONSTITUENCY 2 IN SHKODER IS PROCEEDING NORMALLY' ... 21/08/2005 15:17:16

CEC CHAIRMAN GOES AT CONSTITUENCY NO. 2 TO VERIFY IRREGULARITIES ON ELECTOR LISTS 21/08/2005 15:44:06

VOTING PROCESS IN TWO POLLING-STATIONS OF CONSTITUENCY NO. 2 NOT OPENED YET 21/08/2005 17:19:04

VOTING PROCESS IN POLLING STATION 23 IN REGION OF SHKODRA INTERRUPTED 21/08/2005 18:18:03

ELECTIONS NOT YET STARTING AT POLLING STATION 23 IN SHKODER REGION 21/08/2005 19:30:07

ZEC OF ZONE 2 IN SHKODER RECEIVES DOCUMENTS OF 43 BALLOT BOXES OF POSTRIBE, GRUEMIRE AND PULT COMMUN... 21/08/2005 22:02:51 The Zonal Election Commission (ZEC) of electoral district 2 in Shkoder region has received 43 ballot boxes from Postribe, Gruemire and Pult communes. The ZEC has also received two ballot boxes, which resulted broken, respectively from the polling station 8 in Grizhaj village of commune Gruemire as well as from the polling station 23 in Rrash ...

COUNTING OF BALLOT BOXES IN 30 POLL STATIONS OF CONSTITUENCY 2 IN SHKODER FINISHED 22/08/2005 16:37:27 [dvs at der mangler 40]. CEC oplyser "efter" 25 valgsteder at Demokraternes Astrit Bushati har et mindre forspring ift Socialisternes Pal Lera; ... meget kan dog ændre sig ...

18:25 Der er optalt for 40 ud af 70 valgsteder. Demokraternes Astrit Bushati har øget forspringet. Han har foreløbig fået 3458 stemmer mod Pal Lera's 2414. Men der mangler fortsat 30 valgsteder.

20:45 Der er optalt for 50 valgsteder. Bushati's forspring er øget. Han har nu 4309 stemmer, Lera: 2932. Det ser ud til at Bushati får mandatet.

Tirsdag 23.08 Bushati's forspring er øget endnu mere. Han har nu 5653 stemmer mod 3598 til Lera. Der mangler (kl. 14:30) kun at blive talt 10 valgsteder.

Tirsdag ca. kl. 21:00 Bushati har sammenlagt fået 6818 stemmer, Lera 3832 (Kilde: ATA) [Tallene er senere blevet korrigeret en smule, se lige nedenfor]





Den Centrale Valgkommission kunne først 1.9.2005 offentliggøre stemmetallene for Zone 2. Som det kan ses har Bushati fået 6743, Lera 3765. Desuden er der afgivet et meget lille antal stemmer på andre Kandidater.

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KREDS 64

PARTIAL ELECTIONS-ZEC-LUSHNJE - ZONAL ELECTION COMMISSION STARTS WORK IN CONSTITUENCY 64 IN LUSHNJE DISTRICT 21/08/2005 09:57:26

ELECTIONS-LUSHNJE - ELECTION PROCESS IN CONSTITUENCY 64 IN LUSHNJE PROCEEDS NORMALLY 21/08/2005 11:29:50

THE TURN OUT IN THE ELECTION IN CONSTITUENCY NO 64 IN LUSHNJE ESTIMATED TO BE HIGH 21/08/2005 12:13:17

THE ELECTORAL PROCESS IN ZONE 2030 IN LICAJ VILLAGE OF LUSHNJE CANCELED 21/08/2005 12:45:10

VOTING PROCESS RESTARTS IN POLLING-STATION NO. 2030 IN LUSHNJA DISTRICT 21/08/2005 15:19:53

SOME 43% OF ELECTORS HAVE UNTIL NOW CAST THEIR BALLOT IN CONSTITUENCY 64 IN LUSHNJE 21/08/2005 18:18:28

ELECTORAL PROCESS PROCEEDS NORMALLY IN CONSTITUENCY NO. 64 IN LUSHNJA DISTRICT 21/08/2005 18:59:05

ZEC NO 64 IN LUSHNJA REGION RECEIVES ELECTORAL MATERIALS FROM 52 POLLING-STATIONS 21/08/2005 22:08:18 The Zonal Election Commission (ZEC) of constituency no. 64 in Lushnja district has received the electoral materials from the 52 polling-stations there. The aforesaid process proceeded normally and the documentation of all the polling-stations was transported from them to the seat of ZEC under the police control.

22.08.2005 12:25 Ilir Bano (Demokraterne) har vundet stort over Et'hem Ruka (Socialisterne). Valgdeltagelsen var ca. 54 %, dvs. relativt højt for området. Der er ikke tilsvarende tal for 3.7.



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KREDS 90

PARTIAL ELECTIONS-CELIBASHI-GJIROKASTER - HEAD OF CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION (CEC), ILIRJAN CELIBASHI, DEPARTED A FEW MINUTES AGO TO GJIROKAS... 21/08/2005 09:27:12

ELECTIONS-GRUNNET-LAZARAT - THE HEAD OF ODHIR IN ALBANIA GRUNNET IS CLOSELY ATTENDING THE ELECTION PROCESS IN BALLOT BOX NO.4262 ... 21/08/2005 10:20:26

ELECTIONS-CELIBASHI-LAZARAT - CHAIRMAN OF CEC CELIBASHI IS CLOSELY ATTENDING THE ELECTORAL PROCCESS IN GJIROKASTER 21/08/2005 11:19:08

HEAD OF ODIHR IN ALBANIA, GRUNNET, SAYS ELECTION PROCESS IN LAZARAT COMMUNE IS GOING WELL 21/08/2005 12:00:45

VOTING ENDS IN 48 POLLING STATIONS OF ZONE 90 IN GJIROKASTER REGION 21/08/2005 21:03:14 Voting process is closed at 48 polling stations in electoral zone 90 in Gjirokaster Region, according to the representative of the Central Election Commission (CEC) in Gjirokaster, Arjan Gjini. The document of 17 polling stations has been submitted to the Zonal Election Commission (ZEC) at the Sports Hall in Gjirokaster.





Der har været et slagsmål i Cepun ved Gjirokastra hvor to Journalister med tilknytning til Demokraterne - Mero Baze fra »Tema« og Astrit Patozi fra »Rilindja« - er blevet overfaldet. Baze har anklaget et medlem af Socialistpartiet, Gjolekë Malaj, for overfaldet. Baze og Malaj vil lægge sag an mod hinanden, siges det. Talsmand for Politiet, Laora Totraku, siger at en mistænkt er blevet anholdt og at 4 Politifolk der - formentlig - har overværet hændelsesforløbet, men som forholdt sig passive, er blevet suspenderet.

22.08.2005 12:15 Genc Ruli (Demokraterne) har vundet stort over Makbule Ceco [Çeço] (Socialisterne). Valgdeltagelsen var tilsyneladende en smule lavere end 03.07. - kun noget under halvdelen af de registrede vælgere deltog!




Det går rygter om at Tiranas Borgmester, Edi Rama, er ved at samle en kreds af fremstående Medlemmer af Socialistpartiet for at sætte Fatos Nano fra bestillingen som Partiformand. Der har været forskellige sonderinger, men om de vil føre til noget konkret er meget usikkert.

Indtil videre har Nano ikke blot antydet at han skulle være ansvarlig for det store nederlag, og slet ikke at han ville tage konsekvensen at træde tilbage som Partiformand. Hvad der vil ske i Socialistpartiets Ledelse i den nærmeste tid, vil afhænge af om Nano's koalition fra December 2003 vil holde eller ej. Mange vil fortsat slutte op om Nano, for de vil få vanskeligheder med andre Ledere. Det gælder fx Anastas Angjeli. Nogle af hans hidtidige støtter vil springe fra, men dog næppe foretrække Edi Rama i stedet.

Der er mange Socialister i Tirana der ser positivt på Edi Rama, for han har gjort meget for at udvikle Tirana. Der er sikkert også nogle i andre af de større byer der vil foretrække ham som Leder af Socialistpartiet, men jo længere man kommer væk fra bykernerne og »det moderne«, desto mere vil mange af Medlemmerne tænke traditionelt - og jo mere vil de betragte Edi Rama som én der er alt for »spraglet«. ... Nogle taler om at den tidl. PM og nuværende Forsvarsminister Pandeli Majko kunne være et bud som en ny Formand, evt. for en periode. Og nogle - men muligvis ikke så mange - taler om at man skal hen til at Integrationssocialisterne med Ilir Meta i spidsen kommer tilbage til Partiet.

Opsigtsvækkende interview med Edi Rama i »Zeri i Popullit« 26.8.2005. Avisen er Socialisternes blad. Nedenfor følger sammenfatning af Tue Magnussen:

In an interview with the Socialist Party (SP) newspaper Zëri i Popullit, the Mayor of Tirana Edi Rama analyzes the causes why the SP lost the last general elections that were held on 3 July. According to Mayor Rama, the loss was not an accident, but a big lesson for the SP to return to their grassroots and work together. "The SP Congress in 2003 was a curse for the SP, because it led to the fragmentation of the party and the formation of the Socialist Movement for Integration (SMI)," he said. Rama argued that it was up to the SP chair Fatos Nano to resign from the party leadership in the same way that western leaders do when their parties lose elections. Rama stated that he was willing to give his contribution for a new project in the SP that would be encompassing of all progressive elements of the Left-wing.Rama also argued that all the SP members should choose with their votes which platform they want to follow and who should be the people leading them according to the principle "one person, one vote".

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An exclusive interview given by the Mayor of Tirana, Edi Rama, to the daily “Zeri I Popullit”, official newspaper of the Socialist Party, marked an important turn, which is expected to trouble the “calm” in the SP headquarters, which entered into a sort of lethargic stance after the July 3 elections and 21 August rerunning. The solely fact that the interview was published by the daily “Zeri I Popullit” marks in itself a turning point.

The Mayor of Tirana calls the Socialist Party to carry out a thorough analysis of the electoral defeat calling it not as an accident, but as a pre forecasted defeat which routes are to be searched especially in the Congress of 2003 that brought to the schism of a part of SP figures and merging of a new left wing party called the Socialist Movement for Integration.

Leaving aside the folkloric and rich expressions poured by a fertile fantasy of a controversial figure like Edi Rama, the gist of his 4 full pages interview may be defined as following: the socialists must understand the reasons of this defeat and consider it not as an accident; no witches’ hunt or half analyzes must be carried out within the party, but a careful look within, and a confrontation of political projects must take place instead, if the SP wants to be back on top; the schism that came as consequence of the 2003 Congress must be corrected with a re-union of the left wing into a federal type political formation; the candidacy of a dozen left wing candidates in the direct elect candidate system against only one or rather two right wing candidates was absurd and penalizing; the Albanians did not vote to bring Berisha on power; the party must become once again the family of equals united by same ideals, and legacy, and where the leader of the party must be considered as the first among the equals; elections must take part within the party in order to refresh structures from the base up to the top without loosing time in endless and fruitless debates whether which candidate won and which not; the absence of a vital agreement with the SMI brought to the defeat of the SP in Tirana likely in other parts of the country; it’s in the honor of Mr. Nano to resign creating thus a valuable precedent likely it happens in other parts of the world in which the country wants to be integrated; the would be Prime Minister of the country, Sali Berisha, is in no way and must not be considered as the boss of the Mayor, and the staff of Tirana City Hall will keep on realizing its tasks fulfilling the mandate given by the people of Tirana.


[27.08.2005] Fatos Nano's reaktion. Noget tyder på at Nano vil gøre alt hvad han kan for at bevare magten over Socialistpartiet. Kan han ikke forblive som Formand (hvad han formentlig stræber efter), vil han være dén der har det afgørende ord om hvem der skal efterfølge ham. ADN skriver:

The Socialist Party (SP) chairman, Fatos Nano is examining the idea of leaving his leading post in the party, while he is thinking about his successor, confidential sources from this party's offices were quoted by Top Channel TV as saying on Friday. According to sources, Nano has already selected several names of the SP officials that eventually will succeed him on the post of chairman.


Nano's hensigt kan imidlertid være at Partiet skal »besinde sig« og konkludere at han er klart den bedste - og at man skal slutte op om ham og »pacificere« konkurrenter og kritikere.


Endelig valgresultat ventes offentliggjort Fredag 2.9.2005


[26.08.2005] OSCEs Ambassadør i Tirana, Pavel Vacek, er blevet interviewet i »Gazeta Shqiptare«:

Interview of the Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Ambassador Pavel Vacek Journalist: Skënder Minxhozi

1. Your H.E. Ambassador, the electoral process has recently been completed in Albania. What is your overall assessment on the way the electoral process took place?