In Tirana, the Democratic Party (DP) in opposition announced its proposals for amending the Electoral Code to move away from the election process, as they say, the people and money of crime. Its chairman, Lulzim Basha, said the opposition platform aimed at releasing elections from violence, vote buying and threats. The majority, in turn, has also expressed its views on the depoliticization of election commissions.
DP presented today a platform for free and fair elections, with proposals aimed at avoiding the sale of the vote and the seizing the election process from the criminal structures. Its head, Lulzim Basha said that the progress and results of the elections in Albania are dictated with violence by the criminal gangs associated with the socialist party, and for this the electoral code amendments should release the election process from crime and its money."The platform of the DP contains four main points: 1. Decriminalization of the electoral process - Political Vetting - Cleansing the State Police from ties with crime ... 2. The sistem against the sale of ballots, which has been identified as the main problem in the OSCE / ODIHR for 2017. The vote buying will be considered as an election corruption that is dealt with by SPAK, the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office and the National Investigation Bureau ... 3. Party Financing and Campaigning, 4. Use of Voting Technologies, Biometric Identification, Voting and the electronic count. " said Mr. Basha.
According to him, the OSCE / ODIHR has highlighted as key issues the candidates with criminal support and records, the use of money laundering, the involvement of incriminated policemen in threats, pressure and vote buying, pressure and threats to voters, bandits dictating voting near and within the voting centers, the threat of administration, the use of public funds in the elections.
On the other hand, the Socialist Party expressed earlier its readiness to improve the electoral process according to OSCE recommendations. Socialist co-chairman of the commission for Electoral Reform Bledi Çuçi said that the Socialist Party is willing to depoliticise completely the electoral commissions. The Socialist majority stated that this was also the main concern of international observers. According to them, electronic voting can be tried in local elections in some municipalities, while immigrant voting provided for by law only for parliamentary elections. Socialists say they are ready to guarantee gender representation on 1/3 of the lists.