Press Release - REACT! VOTE! IMPACT!

[Tirana, May 2, 2015]. The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections and for Sustainable

Democracy (CFFESD) is ready to monitor the transparency, peace and justice during the elections for Local Government on 21 June 2015.

Albanian citizens! React, vote, impact! On June 21, 2015 you must to go to the polls and elect the mayors and the members of the municipal councils. This group will represent your interests for the next four years in the municipality where you have chosen to live. These elections are very important. Remember, that for the first time there will be a large number of women in the composites of municipal councils. Follow the candidates during their campaigns and seek solutions to your problems.

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Politicians! Include women and girls as candidates for mayor or municipal councils, as stipulated in the Electoral Code!

With this appeal, the CFFESD addresses the political parties, which compete within their own parties and with the political parties that are members of the two coalitions registered in the Central Election Commission. There are only 3 days after the deadline for submission of legal documents for registration of the candidates. The CFFESD expresses concern about the delay in the compilation of the lists and of the lack of transparency by the political parties and coalitions for the Albanian public. Dear politicians, support women in decision making, and propose dignified candidates to run the municipalities. Albania's future cannot be run by individuals with criminal backgrounds. This is the only way to a dignified Albania toward integration into the European Union!

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CEC members! Reject the lists if do not meet the requirement for women participation in municipal councils as it is in the Electoral law! The CFFESD applauds the Central Election Commission, which is working with great dedication and long hours to meet the obligations under the law, so that it doesn't hinder the process for Local Government on 21 June 2015, although there were delays on the part of political parties for the approval of the Electoral Code with the respective changes. We request that the CEC team continue their work at the same pace, as this will assist the administering of this process. The CFFESD requests the Central Election Commission to fulfill all promises in terms of meeting the obligations, in order that the people with disabilities have the opportunity to participate in the elections with dignity and to be able to fill out the ballot form in the voting booth, by themselves. The CFFESD welcomes the decision of 30 April, 2015 of the Central Election Commission that for the first time, it will engage for the elections of local government of June 21, 2015, twelve persons with disabilities, in twelve regions of the country in the Regional Electoral Offices.

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The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections and for Sustainable Democracy (CFFESD) is an independent, non-partisan organization to promote civic participation for sustainable democracy and monitoring of the electoral process. CFFE focuses on issues that influence the upholding of human rights, gender equality and the rights of people with disability. CFFESD consists of 25 partner organizations and hundreds of Albanian citizens who volunteer their time to CFFESD's efforts for the Local Elections of June 21, 2015.

CFFESD project on local election observation is being supported by Assist Impact through funding provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), assisted by the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

Coalition for Free and Fair Election's findings can be found on its website at www.kzln.org.al

For more information, please contact:

Mirela Arqimandriti, Election Observation Team Leader

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Cel: 068 20 59 301 www.kzln.org.al

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