Appeal for a Comprehensive Electoral Reform

Tirana, 21.01.2016. The Coalition for Free Elections and Fair Elections and for Sustainable Democracy (CFFE) is actively monitoring the latest actions to start the electoral reform in Albania.
CFFE welcomes and congratulates the decision of the Parliament for the establishment of the ad-hoc commission for the electoral reform. Despite the commission's bipartisan nature, in agreement with other domestic and international actors, we expect the commission to function impartially in order for it to draft a reform that goes beyond the specific interests of both parties. Consequently, we invite the two major parties to play a constructive role along the entire process.
CFFE urges the intensification of efforts to start as soon as possible with the work on the electoral reform in order to avoid the adjustment of the reform to the specific needs of the parties for the general elections 2017. So far, every electoral process in Albania has been preceded by either formal or substantial changes in the Electoral Code, thus reducing citizens' trust in the sustainability and fairness of the electoral rules in place. The changes that will be proposed by this reform should be approved and enforced, in accordance with international standards, a year prior to the next elections differently from happened with the last changes in the Electoral Code, which entered into force on 1 April 2015 less than 3 months prior to the elections of 21 June 2015 .

Read the full statement [pdf]