Hand: Dirty games with CEC

There are still chances for normal elections in Albania, but for this we need quick actions. Robert Hand, an old election observer in our country and good connoisseur of the political developments in our country sees some light in the end of the tunnel.

Earlier he has expressed his regret for what he calls “political games” and that include the situation created at the Central Election Commission. He says that if an agreement will be reached with he Central Election Commission, it should be long-termed and in full support of the law.

“The international community is not happy with the way how politics is made in Albania, what blocks the realization of the true potentials of this country”, Hand declared.

When asked about what depends from the June 23rd elections, Hand gave a very direct answer: patience with Albanian is running out.

The high rank political adviser of the American Helsinki Committee declared that the United States of America want Albania to be successful. He says that there has been progress, but it is not enough.

“Without any doubt, Albania should have been able to hold free and fair elections, so that everyone could trust the institutions and the elections’ result. Unfortunately, we see that many games are being made with the next elections. The Central Election Commission is one of them. This is causing loss of trust, and I think that this is really regrettable”, Hand declared.

According to him, if the elections in Albania will not receive a good evaluation this time, there will certainly be consequences for the European Union integration.

“The accession takes time even in normal circumstances. That’s why Albania cannot afford any further delay. The elections need to be regular. There is still the opportunity, but they need to act quickly to realize this”, Hand declared.

He underlined that the political forces should sit and discuss how to complete the Central Election Commission, but this shouldn’t be just a continuation of the political game, where a handshake between the parties goes above the law.

“Many people think that if the law would have been respected, this shouldn’t have happened. I think that what Albania needs is a new commitment to the Electoral Code, and a clear idea for further progress”, Hand underlined.

“My view for the Central Election Commission is that its members are elected by the parties, but after being elected, they should behave with professionalism and not politically. They need a political agreement to return this formula, and a clear confirmation that they will respect the code, the laws, and not just agree on what they want to do or not”, he added.