Albanian elections unseat ruling socialists

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) has confirmed the victory of the Democrats and their allies in Albania’s recent general election.

The centre-right Democratic Party of the former President Sali Berisha will have an absolute majority with 73 of 140 seats in the Albanian Parliament. However the results will not be finalised until the CEC completes investigations into numerous complaints of irregularities.

The Electoral Code provides that the CEC can make a final decision after the adjunctions of all outstanding appeals. Up to now 107 are under review.

Our prayers are with the victim’s family and for the formation of a government focused on children and the poor “World Vision applauds the relative peacefulness of the elections but condemns the violence that resulted in one fatal shooting on Election Day. Our prayers are with the victim’s family and for the formation of a government focused on children and the poor,” says Nicholas Gummere, World Vision National Director.

The national general elections held in Albania on July 3 came under close international scrutiny. According to the preliminary conclusions of the International Election Observation Mission, the parliamentary elections in Albania complied only partially with international commitments and standards for democratic elections.

“The Albanian voters and the local voting commissions were obviously dedicated to making use of their rights and having free and fair elections....”, said Ambassador Andreas Nothelle, Coordinator of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly Delegation.

In the meantime the future Prime Minister, Mr. Sali Berisha said in a television interview that he hoped to make tax cuts in his first week in office. He also plans to reduce the number of government employees.

“When the German chancellor’s office has 580 employees, we cannot afford 340 (in Albania),” he commented.

Berisha also plans to reduce the number of ministries and increase the number of women in government.

With one of the lowest standards of living in Europe, Albanians are looking for stewardship and new opportunities.

About 46 per cent of Albania\'s 3.1 million people live on US$2 or less per day. The majority of the Albanian work force is engaged in agriculture, generating more than half the nation\'s GDP, yet poverty in rural areas is 66 per cent higher than in the capital, Tirana, and 50 per cent higher than other urban centres in the country, according to the World Bank.

About 46 per cent of Albania\'s 3.1 million people live on US$2 or less per day “Albania needs stability and rapid democratic progress, and that is why I appeal to all the political forces, that in compliance to the final results of the elections and to the known democratic norms, to engage in the founding of the parliament and the new government. The citizens have spoken already. They expect their will to be respected,” urged President of the Republic, Mr. Alfred Moisiu.

Despite these changes, World Vision Albania will continue its work and mission to serve the poor and vulnerable towards building a better future for Albanian children.

“We do not know what changes in policies this political transition in Albania will bring, but we know that this presents a new ground for public advocacy, related to our mission and vision. We will be urging the new government to maximise efforts on poverty reduction and on children,” says Gummere.

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