Parliamentary elections, 25 June 2017

International Election Observation Mission press conference (26 June 2017, Tirana)

Following an invitation from the Government of the Republic of Albania and based on the findings and conclusions of the OSCE/ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission, undertaken on 6-9 March, the OSCE/ODIHR has deployed an Election Observation Mission (EOM) to the 25 June 2017 parliamentary elections.

The OSCE/ODIHR EOM and the OSCE Presence in Albania operate separately under their specific mandates.

Long-Term Observation

The OSCE/ODIHR EOM, headed by Ambassador Peter Tejler (Sweden), consists of 15 international experts based in Tirana. In addition, 26 long-term observers are deployed throughout the country from 19 May.

The mission will observe these elections for its compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as with domestic legislation. Observers will follow candidate and voter registration, campaign activities, the work of the election administration and relevant state bodies, implementation of the legislative framework, and the resolution of election disputes. As part of the observation, the EOM will conduct a comprehensive monitoring of the media.

Short-Term Observers

The OSCE/ODIHR has requested participating States to second three hundred (300) short-term observers (STOs) to observe voting, counting and the tabulation of results. Please consult information sheet request for short-term observers  for more information and register on the Short-Term Observers Database: http://stodb.odihr.pl .

Election Day

The short-term observers will be deployed throughout the country in multinational teams of two to monitor the opening of polling stations, the voting, the counting of ballots, and the tabulation of results.

The day after the elections, ODIHR will issue a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions at a press conference. A final report on the observation of the entire electoral process will be issued approximately eight weeks after the end of the observation mission.

Co-operation with Other Partners

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and the European Parliament are planning to deploy observer delegations for these elections.

Previous Elections

The OSCE/ODIHR has observed 12 elections and referenda in Albania, most recently the 2015 local elections.