A few days after the parliamentary elections of April 25th, DP’s deputy chairperson of the Democratic Party, Gazment Bardhi accused minister Belinda Balluku, through a public denouncement, of being involved in a scheme of vote-buying in exchange of legalizing people’s homes.
“What you are looking at is a Whatsapp group, opened under the orders of Belinda Balluku and directed by her advisor in the minister’s cabinet, Laureta Omeri. It is through this person that, Belina Balluku executed her vote-buying scheme, by legalizing homes in exchange of votes,” said Bardhi.
Based on this declaration, Euronews Albania asked the State Agency of the Cadastre for information regarding the number of objects granted legalization permits in the entire country.
Based on the answer we received, we have learned that from January until March of 2021, very close to the election day on April 25th, in our country 10 003 properties were granted legalization.
This is a high average, but not the highest for this administration. Back in 2016, the number of property legalizations reached 48 351, whereas the PM Edi Rama himself used it as a “battle-horse” back in 2017’s elections.
The influence on the vote, through the issuing of legalization permits is also evident in the preliminary report of the April 25th elections compiled by the International Mission for Electoral Observation of the OSCE/ODIHR, which says that:
“MKVZ and ODIHR also received reports on efforts made to influence the vote through offering various stimuli. This includes issuing legalization permits.”
This report also cites the verdict of the Central Electoral Commission, which predicted that four months before election day, prohibited activities included the distribution of legalization permits, the registration of property titles, the use of public resources by the central and local government administrations for the electoral campaigns etc.
The strategy of massive property legalization with an electoral aim has been continuously part of our general and local elections.
Even in the report of OSCE/ODIHR in 2015, the same concern was reiterated: “A large number of high officials and personalities from large governing parties used activities and state public resources with campaign goals, including the distribution of certificates of wealth legalization, which blurred the lines between state and party”.
In total from 2006, until march 2021, 209 757 objects have been legalized. This number is accompanied by an additional 12 000 apartment or service divisions legalized through VKM 19/2017 under the legalization act of abandoned buildings.
