Press Release - Submission deadline of local electoral maps and local governing units expires

Tirana, January 27th 2015 – The Coalition for Free Election and Sustainable Democracy reminds today the local governing units, in the conclusion of the deadline and the legal terms for submitting the electoral maps of the polling stations units at the CEC headquarter.

Yesterday expired the legal submission deadline of the electoral maps of the the polling stations units.

As defined in article 62 point 9 of the CEC's Electoral Code and Guidelines, the deadline for submitting the information by the heads of the local governing units was yesterday.

CFE & SD appeals and claims regarding the submission of the electoral maps deadline and also considers fair and in accordance to the laws in power CEC's submission request. Currently, out of 200 local units only 77 have submitted the unit's polling stations map, where irregularities were also noticed.

Meanwhile, less than half of the local governing units have not yet defined the Polling Stations for the June 21st 2015 local elections. The issue which became known to the public by CEC has been identified as a major concern by The Coalition for Free Elections and Sustainable Democracy days ago.

We (the Coalition) notice lack of information for the Polling Stations in 183 local governing units out of a total of 383 which reflects a main concern in the elections arrangement and preparations according to the Election Code rules and regulations.
Consequently, CFE&SD makes an appeal to the local governing units of the district of Tirana, Shkodra, Vlora, Kukës, and Lezha to submit as soon as possible the requested information to CEC.

However, CFE&SD as a non partisan volountary coalition represented in the entire country of Albania again restates the following requests and remarks:

1. Open discussion for reviewing the Electoral Code that needs adapting in acoordance with the New Territorial Reform consisting of 61 municipalities.
2. To review and reformulate referring to the civil society remarks and requests the concern of the equal gender representation in the Electoral Code not only in the parliamentary elections but also in the local elections, providing harsh sanctions for political parties that do not apply such a criteria.
3. Political parties must show proper will and commitment for immediate new members vancies fulfillement of the Central Electoral Commision.
4. To apply all procedures and take the necessary precautions for the disabled people in order to assure the secret voting through the adaption of the polling stations in Albania.
CFE&SD consists of 25 partnership organizations and hundreds of volounteers in the entire country who are bound to contribute in the lcal elections of the 2015 for reaching the requested standards. CFE&SD is monitoring dayily the political situation in regards to the June 21st 2015 elections.

Further information contacts:
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