WRITTEN QUESTION E-3341/03 by Adriana Poli Bortone (UEN) to the Commission. Albania.
Date: 2003-11-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Albania, electoral fraud, electoral register, organisation of elections

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/525

The Commission has no knowledge of any offers of employment that may have been made to any
Commissioner. In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the Commissioners at the beginning
of their term of office, whenever they intend to engage in an occupation during the year after they have
ceased to hold office, they must inform the Commission, which will examine the nature of the planned
occupation and its relation to their portfolio in order to decide, after seeking the opinion of an ethical
committee, whether the planned occupation is compatible with the last paragraph of Article 213(2) of the
EC Treaty.

The appointments referred to by the Honourable Member were made within the framework of the
applicable procedures and with the sole aim of appointing the best-qualified persons to the posts to be
filled, in accordance with the general policy on staff and in the interests of the institution as a whole.

(2004/C 78 E/0546)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3341/03

by Adriana Poli Bortone (UEN) to the Commission

(12 November 2003)

Subject: Albania

Can the Commission say whether the observers at the recent elections in Albania pointed to any
significant anomalies, in particular whether:

(cid:1) the new electoral lists were corrected, following numerous complaints, in time to ensure transparent

elections with full participation by the population;

(cid:1) the procedure for the reorganisation of the central electoral committee was followed correctly;

(cid:1) the rights of the opposition were respected?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(23 December 2003)

Significant shortcomings have been identified during the last local elections in Albania, most notably
during the post-election period and the issuing of the results. The re-run of elections in the Himara region
on 16 November demonstrated that Albania still needs to make considerable efforts in order to guarantee
full compliance with electoral standards. In early December, the Albanian Electoral Court requested the
re-run of the elections in 118 voting centres in Tirana (over 30 % of the voting centres of the capital). The
re-runs will take place on 28 December.

A major issue identified during the elections has been that of the voters’ lists. On request of the opposition
parties, the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) made last minute amendments to these lists. However,
these amendments were not sufficient to guarantee satisfactory accuracy of the lists. In addition, changes
were made too late, and voters were not properly informed. This led to a certain degree of confusion on
the Election Day.

The reorganisation of the CEC in the run-up to the elections was controversial. Although the CEC seemed
to have taken generally balanced positions during the elections, the recent decision of the Electoral Court
as regards the elections in Tirana casts a shadow on the CEC’s performance.

There have been efforts to respect the rights of the opposition, and the appeal procedures have been used.
The request for re-runs in Tirana and the CEC’s decision to change results in Himara due to serious
manipulations are good examples. However, it is clear that all political actors in Albania need to be more
willing, more determined and more committed to guaranteeing the successful conduct of democratic
elections in the country.