According to the Electoral Code, today is the deadline for the registration of electoral coalitions. 60 days before the elections political parties need to indicate whether they will participate in a coalition with other parties or not.
The Electoral Code gives an advantage to electoral coalitions in the distribution of the votes. Whereas individual parties outside a coalition have a voting threshold of 3%, coalitions have a threshold of 5%, which significantly lowers the bar for smaller parties participating in a coalition. The coalition system also is supposed ensure a workable majority after the elections.
As nearly all opposition parties have failed to register at the Central Election Commission (KQZ) on April 10, there will be no broad opposition coalition participating in the elections.
In 2013, the current government participated with a coalition under the title “Alliance for European Albania.” The coalition consisted of 37 parties, four of which managed to win a seat in Parliament: the Socialist Party (PS), the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI), the Union for Human Rights (PBDNj), and the Christian-Democratic Party (PKD).
The PBDNj, led by Vangjel Dule, has left the government and joined the opposition boycott, whereas the formerly opposition party Justice, Integration, and Unity (PDIU) has joined the government.
The main question that will probably receive an answer today is whether the LSI (and PDIU) will join the PS in a pre-electoral coalition or not. Another question will be whether new parties Libra and Sfida will form a coalition together, go at it alone, or join the government coalition.
