WRITTEN QUESTION E-3396/00

by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) to the Council

(6 November 2000)

Subject: Irregularities and fraud during elections in Albania

Six Greek MPs, together with other international observers monitoring the municipal elections held in the Chimara region of Albania on 15 October which were being reheld following complaints from the Omonoia-Kead party of violence and fraud during the first round held on 1 October 2000 have reported irregularities and fraud on a large scale.

1. Is the Council aware that, on the pretext of naval exercises and routine procedure, the Albanian authorities closed their sea and land borders on 14 October 2000, which meant that much of the population of Chimara was unable to go to the polls and vote? Is the Commission also aware that the Albanian police arrested and terrorised inhabitants of Chimara and that, on polling day, they savagely beat up voters in front of the observers and the group of MPs, stuffed the ballot-boxes with ballot-papers, drove off the election supervisors, altered the electoral registers and made multiple arrests, prompting Mr Vasilis Bolanos, a candidate, and the Omonoia-Kead party to declare that they would not recognise the result?

2. What is the Council's position regarding these flagrant violations in the second round of the municipal elections, which occurred with the support of Mr Nano's government and the complicity of Mr Berisha's opposition party, and what representations will it make to the Albanian Government to hold the elections in the area again?

3. Is it possible to suspend the Council's decision providing macro-economic financial assistance to Albania(1) because of that country's violation of the criteria concerning the establishment of the rule of law and respect for human rights?

4. Will relations with Albania be reviewed, with particular reference to the Council's decision authorising the Commission to negotiate a stability and association agreement with Albania?

(1) OJ L 110, 28.4.1999, p. 13.

Reply

(24 April 2001)

1. The Council has noted the comments made in the Preliminary Statement published on 16 October 2000 by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the final report of the OSCE/ODIHR of 11 December 2000 and the report of the Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of 10 November 2000 concerning the conduct of the local elections in Albania.

2. In the statement which it made on the local elections in Albania in the OSCE's Permanent Council and in the Council of Europe, the Union deplored the serious irregularities and incidents noted in the first and second rounds of balloting, especially those which affected the voting of a substantial number of Greeks in Chimara.

3. The Council Decision of 22 April 1999 providing macrofinancial assistance to Albania entrusted the application of the decision to the Commission; that application is therefore no longer in the Council's hands. However, discussions between the Albanian authorities and the Commission on the conditions of economic and institutional policy under which the loan will be granted have not yet been completed, and so no disbursements have yet been made.

4. The Honourable Member refers to the conclusions of the Council of 21/22 June 1999, which asked the Commission to make recommendations on the negotiating directives for a stabilisation and association agreement following the Council's examination of a feasibility study on the negotiating of such an agreement. However, following the Commission's presentation of that study, the Council concluded on 24 January 2000 that Albania should first resolve certain economic, political and institutional weaknesses so that its participation in the stabilisation and association process would be fruitful. Lastly, the Feira European Council asked the Albanian Government to continue the efforts made in response to the questions raised in the abovementioned feasibility study. There is therefore no Council decision as yet to begin negotiations for a stabilisation and association agreement.

5. The EU noted in the final declaration of the Zagreb Summit, in which the EU and the countries of the Western Balkans took part on 24 November 2000, that the stabilisation and association process was based on respect for the conditions defined by the Council on 29 April 1997 concerning democratic, economic and institutional reforms as well as establishment of the rule of law and the protection of human rights and the rights of minorities.

The Council has set up an EU-Albania high-level steering group which will assess progress, recommend the necessary reform measures and provide advice and guidance in all areas of concern set out in the 1999 Commission feasibility report, namely macro-economic stabilisation and accelerated structural reforms, strengthening of security and public order and improvement of governance and law enforcement (such as public administration reform, judiciary, rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of minorities). The group may look at any other issue relevant to the stabilisation and association process. The Council will thus be able to monitor closely the Albanian government's implementation of concrete measures in these areas.

6. In a Declaration of 1 December, the Presidency reiterated, on behalf of the European Union, that the European Union sees the increasing use of violence in the pursuit of political aims as a worrying development. The European Union therefore made a forceful appeal for the rule of law to be respected. The desire of the Albanians to move towards a closer relationship with the European Union implies observance of shared fundamental values, chief among which are respect for institutions and legality, non-recourse to violence, and a spirit of tolerance and dialogue.