The OSCE/ODHIR mission in Albania will increase the presence of observers for the May 14 local elections.

In the preliminary report on the local elections, OSCE informed the experts that it will send 24 long-term observers, and 300 short-term observers, 50 more than in the April 25 parliamentary elections, to cover the entire election period and raised concerns regarding the possibility of vote-buying and “organized” voting.

This is because the OSCE mission in Albania continues to raise concerns in this report, also regarding the misuse of administrative resources by the party in power, referring mainly to the practice during the 2021-2022 elections and the lack of measures from both law enforcement bodies and political parties.

The report also highlighted the conflict within the Democratic Party, which, according to experts’ findings, has affected the work of the Parliament and the progress of the territorial and electoral reforms.

The OSCE has also raised its concerns regarding the procrastination of the judicial process when it comes to the fate of the Democratic Party and the granting of legitimacy to only one party, thus questioning the effectiveness of a legal solution and the court’s decision.