Opposition Sets Ultimatum to KQZ

In a letter sent to the Central Election Commission (KQZ) on March 9, the opposition parties announced that they will refuse to register as parties or as coalition until the moment of a political agreement is reached about the organization of free elections, under the direction of a caretaker government.

We hereby announce that we have decided not to present a request to be registered as electoral subjects at the KQZ and, as a result, nor as electoral coalition on a national level, until the moment of arriving at a political agreement that secures the realization of free and fair elections in Albania, through the creation of a caretaker government with broad political support.

The deadlines to register as a subject is April 9 (extended to April 10, as 9 falls on a Sunday), while the deadline for registering coalition is April 19. As Exit explained previously, there are several possible scenarios until the first deadline.

The opposition parties base their ultimatum on the Constitution and the Electoral Code, both which ground the government of Albania on free and equal elections. The opposition denies that the conditions to hold elections in which all Albanians will be able to cast their vote freely and equally cannot exist under the rule of the current government, due to its alleged ties to the criminal world.

The letter has been signed by all parties that were originally part of the 2013 electoral coalition Alliance for Employment, Well-being, and Integration, except for the PDIU, which has joined the government. Moreover, the letter contains the additional signature of Vangjel Dule (PBDNj, which used to be part of the government), and Kreshnik Spahiu (Aleanca Kuq e Zi, who ran independently in 2013).