Interim Monitoring Report - I
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– ELECTIONS FOR THE ASSEMBLY OF ALBANIA 25 APRIL 2021 INTERIM MONITORING REPORT - I 6 September 2020 – 25 March 2021 Tirana, on 29 March 2021! COALITION FOR REFORMS, INTEGRATION AND CONSOLIDATED INSTITUTIONS (KRIIK ALBANIA) In cooperation with 33 partner organizations ELECTIONS FOR THE ASSEMBLY OF ALBANIA 25 APRIL 2021 INTERIM MONITORING REPORT – I* 6 September 2020 – 25 March 2021 * This Report is published in Albanian and in English. The Albanian version is the only official document. Elections for the Assembly of Albania Interim Monitoring Report – I 25 April 2021 6 September 2020 – 25 March 2021 Prepared by: © KOALICIONI PËR REFORMA, INTEGRIM DHE INSTITUCIONE TË KONSOLIDUARA COALITION FOR REFORMS, INTEGRATION AND CONSOLIDATED INSTITUTIONS All rights reserved. Parts of this material can be freely used. In that case, please cite the source. A: Rr. “Ymer Kurti”, Nd.4, H.2, Ap.3, Nj.Adm.5, Tirana, 1019 | Mailing Address: P.O.Box. 2396 Tirana, 1001, Albania; T: + 355 4 2245078 | M: + 355 673890174; + 355 682039297 | E: [email protected] | W: www.kriik.al. The Election Monitoring Action of KRIIK for the Elections for the Assembly of Albania of 25 April 2021 is financially supported by: • the Government of the United Kingdom; • the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany; and • the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The opinions and views expressed in this Report and any other publication in the frame of this Monitoring Action are the sole responsibility of KRIIK and do not necessarily represent the official position or opinion of the donors. 2 Coalition for Reforms, Integration and Consolidated Institutions (KRIIK Albania) Interim Monitoring Report – I Elections for the Assembly of Albania 6 September 2020 – 25 March 2021 25 April 2021 CONTENT I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................. 5 II. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................... 9 III POLITICAL AND INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT ............................................................................................................. 12 IV. LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND THE ELECTION SYSTEM ................................................................................................ 15 IV.1. LEGAL FRAMEWORK .................................................................................................................................................... 15 IV.2. ELECTION SYSTEM ...................................................................................................................................................... 19 V. ELECTION ADMINISTRATION ................................................................................................................................. 21 V.1. CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION................................................................................................................................... 21 V.1.1. The functions of CEC Governing Bodies and the selection of their membership. ............................................ 22 V.1.2. Decision-making of the Central Election Commission ..................................................................................... 24 V.1.2.1. State Election Commissioner (the Commissioner) ................................................................................... 24 V.1.2.2. Regulatory Commission (the Regulator) .................................................................................................. 24 V.1.2.3. Complaints and Sanctions Commission (CSC) .......................................................................................... 25 V.1.3. USE OF TECHNOLOGY DURING ELECTIONS ...................................................................................................................... 26 V.1.3.1. Electronic Voter Identification System (EVIS) ............................................................................................... 27 V.1.3.2. Electronic voting and counting .................................................................................................................... 28 V.2. COMMISSIONS OF ELECTORAL ADMINISTRATION ZONES ..................................................................................................... 29 V.3. POLLING STATIONS ...................................................................................................................................................... 33 V.4. COUNTING CENTERS .................................................................................................................................................... 34 VI. REGISTRATION OF VOTERS ................................................................................................................................... 36 VI.1. VOTERS’ NOTIFICATION TO BE INCLUDED IN THE LIST .......................................................................................................... 36 VI.1.1. Periodic publication of voter lists ................................................................................................................... 37 VI.1.2. Written notification of voters......................................................................................................................... 37 VI.1.3. Online check of the voter list .......................................................................................................................... 40 VI.2. VOTERS WITH EXPIRED ID ............................................................................................................................................ 40 VI.3. AUDIT TECHNICIANS .................................................................................................................................................... 41 VI.4. REGISTRATION OF VOTERS LIVING ABROAD ...................................................................................................................... 41 VI.6. RIGHT TO VOTE OF SELF-QUARANTINED INDIVIDUALS (INFECTED WITH SARS-COV-2 VIRUS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS) ............. 44 VII. REGISTRATION OF ELECTORAL SUBJECTS AND CANDIDATES ............................................................................... 45 VII.1. REGISTRATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES ............................................................................................................................ 46 VII.1.1. The term of the party leader according to the party statute ........................................................................ 47 VII.2. REGISTRATION OF ELECTORAL COALITIONS ...................................................................................................................... 49 VII.3. REGISTRATION OF CANDIDATES .................................................................................................................................... 50 VII.3.1. The number of candidates in the PD-AN list ................................................................................................. 52 VII.4. DECRIMINALIZATION PROCESS...................................................................................................................................... 53 3 Coalition for Reforms, Integration and Consolidated Institutions (KRIIK) Elections for the Assembly of Albania Interim Monitoring Report – I 25 April 2021 6 September 2020 – 25 March 2021 VIII. EARLY ELECTION CAMPAIGN .............................................................................................................................. 56 VIII.1. CAMPAIGN SETTINGS ................................................................................................................................................. 56 VIII.2. USE OF PUBLIC RESOURCES FOR ELECTORAL GAIN............................................................................................................. 60 VIII.2.1. Reporting activities to CEC ............................................................................................................................ 61 VIII.2.2. Denunciations on the CEC portal .................................................................................................................. 62 VIII.2.3. Publication of contacts ................................................................................................................................. 64 VIII.2.4. Normative acts related to the use of government resources ....................................................................... 64 VIII.2.5. Activity of public institutions on websites and official accounts on Facebook social network ..................... 65 VIII.3. ELECTORAL OFFICES AND PROPAGANDA MATERIALS ......................................................................................................... 66 VIII.3.1. Electoral Offices ............................................................................................................................................ 66 VIII.3.2. Propaganda materials .................................................................................................................................. 67 IX. CAMPAIGN FINANCE............................................................................................................................................. 68 X. MEDIA ..................................................................................................................................................................