The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), based in Warsaw, released a press statement on Tuesday regarding the electoral reform in Albania.

The statement mentions that the initiative of the Albanian authorities to restart the electoral reform in the country before the parliamentary elections of 2025 is a significant and positive development. This process has already served as a good practice example for the region and beyond, stated the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

“We welcome the decision of the Albanian authorities to reaffirm their commitment to these vital reforms well ahead of the elections,” said the director of OSCE/ODIHR, Matteo Mecacci.

“We encourage all parties to engage in open and inclusive consultations in the coming months, ensuring that the reforms that follow will enhance the electoral process for the benefit of all Albanians”.

It is crucial to set practical and achievable objectives focusing on the implementation of previous OSCE/ODIHR recommendations and addressing deficiencies observed during past elections in line with international standards.

Key priorities include preventing the misuse of public resources and vote-buying, ensuring the secrecy of the vote, protecting media freedom, and enhancing the efficiency of the electoral administration.

After recent discussions on this matter, the Albanian Parliament invited OSCE/ODIHR to support national authorities and offered to provide technical support and expertise to advance the reform process.

OSCE/ODIHR’s long-term methodology for election observation involves assessing the implementation of its previous recommendations. The most recent ODIHR observation mission in Albania in 2023 evaluated the follow-up to its recommendations after the local elections in 2019 and the parliamentary elections in 2021.

The reports concluded that three recommendations had been fully implemented, seven others mostly, 16 partially, while others still remain to be addressed.