III 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. CON. RES. 34 

Urging the Government of the Republic of Albania to ensure that the parliamentary elections to be held on July 3, 2005, are conducted in accordance with international standards for free and fair elections. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 17, 2005 

Mr. BROWNBACK (for himself and Mrs. CLINTON) submitted the following 

concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 

Relations 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Urging the Government of the Republic of Albania to ensure 

that the parliamentary elections to be held on July 3, 

2005, are conducted in accordance with international 

standards for free and fair elections. 

Whereas the United States maintains strong and friendly relations with the Republic of Albania and appreciates the 

ongoing support of the people of Albania; 

Whereas the President of Albania has called for elections to 

Albania’s parliament, known as the People’s Assembly, to 

be held on July 3, 2005; 

Whereas Albania is one of 55 participating States in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe 

(OSCE), all of which have adopted the 1990 Copenhagen 
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•SCON 34 IS

Document containing specific commitments relating to 

the conduct of elections; 

Whereas these commitments, which encourage transparency, 

balance, and impartiality in an election process, have become the standard by which observers determine whether 

elections have been conducted freely and fairly; 

Whereas, though improvements over time have been noted, 

the five multiparty parliamentary elections held in Albania between 1991 and 2001, as well as elections for local 

offices held between and after those years, fell short of 

the standards in the Copenhagen Document to varying 

degrees, according to OSCE and other observers; 

Whereas with OSCE and other international assistance, the 

Government of Albania has improved the country’s electoral and legal framework and enhanced the capacity to 

conduct free and fair elections; 

Whereas subsequent to the calling of elections, Albania’s political parties have accepted a code of conduct regarding 

their campaign activities, undertaking to act in accordance with the law, to refrain from inciting violence or hatred in the election campaign, and to be transparent in 

disclosing campaign funding; and 

Whereas meeting the standards in the Copenhagen Document 

for free and fair elections is absolutely essential to Albania’s desired integration into European and Euro-Atlantic institutions, including full membership in the North 

Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as well as to Albania’s progress in addressing official corruption and 

combatting organized crime: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

2 concurring), That Congress— 
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1 (1) welcomes the opportunity for the Republic 

2 of Albania to demonstrate its willingness and pre3 paredness to take the next steps in European and 

4 Euro-Atlantic integration by holding parliamentary 

5 elections on July 3, 2005, that meet the Organiza6 tion for Security and Cooperation in Europe 

7 (OSCE) standards for free and fair elections as de8 fined in the 1990 Copenhagen Document; 

9 (2) firmly believes that the citizens of Albania, 

10 like all people, should be able to choose their own 

11 representatives in parliament and government in free 

12 and fair elections, and to hold these representatives 

13 accountable through elections at reasonable inter14 vals; 

15 (3) supports commitments by Albanian political 

16 parties to adhere to a basic code of conduct for cam17 paigning and urges such parties and all election offi18 cials in Albania to adhere to laws relating to the 

19 elections, and to conduct their activities in an impar20 tial and transparent manner, by allowing inter21 national and domestic observers to have unob22 structed access to all aspects of the election process, 

23 including public campaign events, candidates, news 

24 media, voting, and post-election tabulation of results 

25 and processing of election challenges and complaints; 
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1 (4) supports assistance by the United States to 

2 help the people of Albania establish a fully free and 

3 open democratic system, a prosperous free market 

4 economy, and the rightful place of Albania in Euro5 pean and Euro-Atlantic institutions, including the 

6 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); and 

7 (5) encourages the President to communicate to 

8 the Government of Albania, to all political parties 

9 and candidates in Albania, and to the people of Al10 bania the high importance attached by the United 

11 States Government to this parliamentary election as 

12 a central factor in determining the future relation13 ship between the United States and Albania. 

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