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Despite the decisive victory of the Albanian Socialist Party in the parliamentary elections in Albania on May 11, criticism of the fairness of the electoral process and accusations of vote manipulation have not subsided at home and abroad.
Election day itself was accompanied by tensions and mutual accusations of electoral violations between the largest parties, the Albanian Socialist Party (ASP) and the Democratic Party (DP).
The Central Election Commission (CEC) finalized the count amid clashes between ballot counters and observers. The count of preferential votes has ended, with 83 seats for the ASP (in the 140-member parliament). Key political figures remain outside the parliament – among them Pandeli Majko, Olta Xhaqca and Mimi Kodeli. The introduced gender equality quota has led to a paradox – candidates with high support are not included, as the quota distribution excludes them. In some areas, this has caused protest reactions. Experts say the electoral system does not accurately reflect the will of voters.
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The CEC’s Sanctions and Complaints Commission overturned the decision by CEC Chairman Celibashi to exclude votes cast in Greece. The decision was made following a complaint by the ASP, which alleged that Celibashi had exceeded his authority. The commission ruled that all ballots from Greece should be included in the count. The Democratic Party said it had requested a temporary separation of ballots due to suspicions of irregularities.
The Democratic Party refuses to recognize the results in some districts. DP leader Sali Berisha said the election process was influenced by criminal groups, including in the diaspora. He questioned the legitimacy of votes from abroad, including from Greece.
The DP organized a protest on May 16 in Tirana, aiming to draw international attention to alleged “electoral crimes” during a summit of the European Political Community (EPC). Berisha promised that the protest would be peaceful and would not disrupt the European Political Community summit. He stressed that he had no intention of resigning and would continue the fight against the government.
The leader of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, attended a forum of the International Democratic Union (IDU), on May 15, in Brussels, where he received support from member parties. In his speech, he stated that there were no free elections in Albania and described the May 11 vote as a “farce”, accusing the ruling Socialist Party of systematic pressure and fraud through “state mechanisms and criminal networks”. The IDU issued a resolution in support of Berisha, demanding international monitoring.
The Albanian authorities have not commented publicly on Berisha’s statements. Human rights organizations are preparing reports on irregularities in the electoral process in Albania. The final decision on the legitimacy of the vote may fall to the Constitutional Court.
The European institutions have maintained neutrality. However, the European Union has expressed serious concerns about the conduct of the elections in Albania. European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas and Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos issued a statement saying the elections were marred by serious irregularities, similar to those in 2001, when EU observers did not recognize the results. These criticisms call into question the democratic process in the country and could affect Albania’s path to EU membership.
The European Union Delegation to Albania has officially reacted to allegations of interference by Ambassador Silvio Gonzato in the OSCE/ODIHR (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights) report on the fairness and transparency of the elections. The EU Delegation has strongly denied these allegations, saying they are unfounded and undermine the legitimacy of international monitoring.
A German public broadcaster has published a report alleging that Edi Rama used unfair means to secure an absolute majority in parliament. The report says this threatens Albania’s European course, citing problems with vote manipulation and a lack of transparency. The report provoked sharp reactions in the country, highlighting the growing international attention to the political processes in Albania.
The election process in the Albanian diaspora has been subjected to sharp criticism by the International Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) and EU representatives. There have been comments on discrepancies in the number of registered and actually received envelopes, with a count finding 2,902 numbered envelopes out of 2,896. The CEC has not yet issued an official position. A BIRN analysis will be presented in Brussels as part of monitoring democratic processes. It states that the ASP’s dominance in the elections is the result of systematic control over the media and the use of a network of patronage agents. The report quotes journalists testifying anonymously to pressure from government structures. The authorities have described the data as “politically motivated”.
Prime Minister Edi Rama received congratulations on his election victory from Germany, France, Britain and Italy. At the same time, Washington, Belgrade and Pristina remained silent. The US State Department criticized the electoral process in Albania and stressed that it expects the Albanian authorities to investigate allegations of electoral irregularities.
On May 16, 47 European leaders legitimized Edi Rama’s election victory by attending the sixth summit of the European Political Community in Tirana. The electoral violations will be swept under the carpet, but the deep division in Albania will not disappear anywhere, but will continue to deepen.
