Last night 23:59 was the legal deadline for the registration of electoral coalitions at the Central Election Commission (KQZ).
Yesterday, the PS and LSI sent a letter to the KQZ requesting an extension of the deadline, with the argument that they were still “negotiating” with the PD, and that “stretching the deadlines mandated by art. 64 and 65 of the Electoral Code with a few days, while it wouldn’t lead to any damaging consequence.”
This led to an immediate response of the opposition. PD deputy Oerd Bylykbashi stated that to register “is a right not a duty. If the deadline passes, you lose the right.” It is as yet unknown whether the PS, LSI, and their smaller allies eventually registered their coalition “Alliance for European Albania.”
Several other politicians and officials spoke out against the possibility of an extension. Libra leader Ben Blushi declared:
If April 19 is unjustly changed, also [the elections on] June 18 have failed. To postpone the registration of parties with a piece of paper, is like postponing February to March because you don’t like it. If the KQZ accepts to postpone the registration of coalitions with a letter, why doesn’t the KQZ postpone the elections because of a letter of Basha and Berisha?
KQZ member Klement Zguri stated:
The request of the two parties is not legitimate. The requesters do not have the authorization for this request. Its content touches upon the elections, would make them invalid.
While former Minister of Justice Ylli Manjani declared:
Now the elections are directed neither by the law nor the Constitution! The politics of conflict has managed to rise above the law! Legally, there are no more elections on the 18th!
The KQZ will convene today at 13:00 to discuss the request of the PS and LSI. The KQZ, however, does not have the competence to change any of the deadlines mandated by the Electoral Code. Honoring the request of the majority would be a violation of the law and constitute abuse of office.
The General Prosecution is currently investigating the KQZ for abuse of office related to accepting decriminalization self-declaration forms after the legal deadline.
