A Central Elections Commission panel has turned down a request by the Democratic Party that it gather information from certain public institutions in support of the opposition’s allegations that the government has engaged in vote rigging in the Tirana district.
In earlier decisions, the CEC also refused similar requests for the Shkodër, Durrës and Berat districts. It argued that the PD should provide the CEC with all the evidence in support of their allegations.
The opposition had asked the CEC to gather information from public institutions regarding public tenders signed by this latter in the last months before the elections, the number of new employees hired, copies of spending reports, details about any projects implemented, illegal buildings legalized, etc. The opposition claimed that the figures derived from such data would support their accusations that the government rigged the April 25 elections through vote buying.
In addition, the CEC turned down a request by independent candidate Bojken Abazi to examine over 18,000 invalid ballot papers in Tirana.
The CEC will review opposition complaints in light of the evidence brought to them by parties. Biometric identification devices will be checked for double voting, and CCTV footage will be reviewed from a voting center where Abazi claims ballot boxes may have been opened before reaching the ballot counting center.
Abazi and the PD have both demanded repeat elections in Tirana.
Regarding Durrës and Shkodër, the CEC said it will issue a decision on Wednesday. The panel reviewing the complaints found on Tuesday that in Shkodër, 13 people had 34 ballot papers in different voting centers.
The opposition has demanded the CEC to repeat elections in 9 of Albania’s 12 districts. The Commission has already issued decisions against such repeat elections for 3 districts – Berat, Gjirokastër, and Vlorë. The opposition has appealed the Gjirokastër case, and is expected to do the same with the rest of cases.
A partial ballot recount in Berat did not change the final distribution of parliamentary seats in the district.
