The OSCE Observation Mission has published an interim report for Albania’s April 25 elections. The report stresses that the CEC has regulated various aspects of the ongoing electoral process and coped with a significantly increased workload within a short timeframe.

“The conduct of these elections is widely viewed as a test of Albania’s democratic progress in the ongoing accession talks with the European Union. While the forthcoming elections offer a comprehensive choice of candidates to voters, it also takes place within an atmosphere of political volatility and deep mistrust between the major political forces,” reads the report.

As regards the limited pre-election preparation time the Mission writes that a nationwide voter education program will be launched to address the new possibility of preferential voting, and the newly introduced electronic voter registration system.

As for the electronic voter identification system, the ODIHR writes that it is a measure to minimize the risk of double voting or voter identity falsification.

However, this ODIHR interim report ignores the previous recommendation to depoliticize the election administration.