OSCE international observers to monitor Albania’s June parliamentary polls amid opposition boycott

TIRANA, Albania — Despite uncertainties over Albania’s upcoming June elections, an international security agency says some 330 observers will monitor Albania’s June 18 parliamentary elections.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said Thursday it is requesting the observers from member states following a request from Tirana.

The country’s opposition has so far declared it is boycotting the polls because it doesn’t trust the government to hold free and fair voting. It is also boycotting parliament, thus blocking the launch of the justice reform, and local elections to be held next month in a western city.

The OSCE said that following an invitation from the Government of Albania to observe the 18 June 2017 parliamentary elections and in accordance with its mandate, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) undertook a Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) to Albania from 6 to 9 March.

The purpose of the mission was to assess the pre-election environment and the preparations for the elections. Meetings were held with officials from state institutions and the election administration, as well as representatives of political parties, media, civil society, and the international community.

After the last local elections of 2015, the OSCE/ODIHR mission said that: “While there was a distinct choice between a range of candidates and fundamental freedoms of expression and assembly were generally respected, the continued politicization of state institutions undermined the effective administration of the electoral process. Overall, election day was assessed positively, but many cases of group voting and some important procedural irregularities were observed”.

Albania, a NATO member since 2009, is hoping to launch full membership negotiations with the European Union. Brussels considers the country’s justice reform key to its integration efforts with the 28-nation bloc.