On Monday, the Central Election Commission (CEC) approved the registration of the Democratic Party led by Lulzim Basha for the upcoming partial elections on September 24 for the mayoral race in Kukës.
Despite the legal and political discussions held during Monday’s CEC meeting, Chairman Ilirjan Celibashi emphasized that the Democratic Party’s application, submitted by Lulzim Basha, complies with the requirements outlined in the Electoral Code and the law governing political parties.
Celibashi clarified that the CEC’s role is not to assess the decision-making processes within a political party but to consider requests from a formal perspective. He highlighted that the party registry, containing all relevant data, is maintained by the Tirana Court. Given that Lulzim Basha serves as the chairman of the Democratic Party, he possesses the legitimacy to submit the registration request as the party’s representative for electoral participation. Celibashi underscored that any discussions regarding the internal decision-making within the Democratic Party should be addressed by the Tirana Court, which manages political party data.
Additionally, Celibashi noted that accompanying documents, including a written statement from the party’s chairman, were provided, which is a crucial requirement for a political party’s registration as an electoral entity. In conclusion, the CEC approved the Democratic Party’s request for electoral registration in the Kukës mayoral election, with Lulzim Basha as the chairman and the party’s initials, DP. The decision is subject to appeal within three days from its announcement, as published on the official CEC website.
This decision overturns the second item on the agenda, where Sali Berisha, leading the “Reestablishment” faction, had submitted a request for registration in the elections as the head of the Democratic Party.
In addition to the Democratic Party, the CEC registered the Socialist Party led by Edi Rama, as well as the Freedom Party led by Ilir Meta, and the Party for the Europeanization and Integration of Albania led by Rivelino Çuni.
During the CEC meeting, several other decisions were made concerning the filling of vacancies, following the draft decisions outlined on Monday’s agenda.
