Tomorrow between the hours of 7 am and 7 pm, Albanians will vote in the general elections.
The vote takes place amid rising tensions between the ruling Socialist Party, the Democratic Party, other smaller parties, and President Ilir Meta. There have been more than 150 reports of electoral crimes and countless more allegations made in the media and online.
Furthermore, the campaign was marred by the shooting of a Democratic Party activist in a campaign office in Kavaje, and the murder of one Socialist Party activist, and injury of four others in Elbasan.
The US Embassy has warned citizens to give a wide berth of polling stations, groups of people, and to avoid wearing clothing that could be construed as having party colors.
Electoral silence
Today, all political parties and candidates are prohibited from any kind of electoral activity through the media, or by holding any kind of meeting. The Central Election Commission can fine anyone violating the rules 500,000 ALL. (EUR 4000).
The parties in play
The Socialist Party and its leader Edi Rama are seeking a third term after eight years in power. The SPS argument used during the campaign was that their work was unfinished and they needed time to resolve the issues caused by the November 2019 earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also relied on the argument that the Democratic Party is not the right choice, saying that “we are not the best, but there is none better than us.” The PS also added new names to its lists, such as Luljeta Bozo and Najada Çomo, to personify “government challenges”, the earthquake, and the pandemic.
The other largest party in the country, the Democratic Party, seeks power, listing the “failures of the socialist government.”
PD has presented its electoral program, focusing on the economy and other areas such as education, health, agriculture. Its leader Lulzim Basha has stated that “the change will come only with the departure of Edi Rama”.
The PD goes to the polls together with the allied opposition parties, the Alliance for Change.
While the SMI is on its own list, the third-largest party in the country but included a followed a similar strategy, namely that Albania can only move forward with the departure of Rama.
In these elections, there are several new parties that have become part of the race: Nisma Thurrje, which has presented 33 draft laws that it intends to send to the Assembly.
Then there are other parties created by politicians that were previously part of parties like PD, PS and LSI.
They include Jozefina Topalli’s Movement for Change, Astrit Patozit’s Democratic Belief, Social Democratic Party, Tom Doshi’s Albanian Democratic Movement Party, Myslim Murrizi’s New Movement Party, New Democracy Alliance Party.
Independent candidates
Four independent candidates are also running in these elections.
In Dibra, Elton Debreshi, miner and trade unionist is running as an independent candidate. He became part of the elections to send to the Assembly the long-standing request of the miners, which is the approval of the Miner Status.
Other independent candidates are Kreshnik Merxhani, Boiken Abazi, and Iliaz Shehu. They are supported by the Vetëvendosje Movement in Albania, which is not yet registered as a party but only as an NGO. Therefore in these elections, they decided to participate as independents and not as a party.
625,000 people cannot vote
In Sunday’s elections, electronic voting will be tested for the first time in Albania, which will take place only in Tirana.
At least 625,000 people eligible to vote will not be allowed to due to COVID-19 restrictions. These include 600,000 Albanians in North Macedonia and Greece who cannot enter the country due to a mandatory 2-week quarantine period imposed by Rama government. It also includes up to 25,000 COVID-19 positive patients who have been told they cannot vote and must remain at home, or in hospital.
Exit News will be running a live blog and a live update Twitter feed throughout election day in both English and Albanian.
