Albania Election
Europe and Eurasia
In Georgia, when it became clear that the Government was manipulating vote counting, peaceful demonstrations with broad popular support led to the resignation of President Shevardnadze and a new election that represented a significant improvement. Such democratic success stories are unfortunately rare, however. Azerbaijan's flawed presidential election led to violence, as opposition-led protests were soon suppressed by authorities who then used the excesses of some demonstrators as pretext for a wave of politically motivated arrests. Elsewhere in the region there were elections or constitutional referendums marred by procedural and substantive irregularities that violated democratic norms, including in Armenia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan. In Russia, there were significant flaws and misuse of state-controlled media in the run-up to the Duma elections, as well as Chechnya’s presidential election. However, in every case, in ever-increasing numbers, the cit ... [Read More]
Europe and Eurasia
The United States sustained efforts to address electoral processes that do not meet international standards through high-level government intervention and training programs. For the December municipal elections, U.S. efforts focused on the need to correct the irregularities of the past, in preparation for the November 2005 parliamentary elections. In the wake of the controversial 2003 presidential election, U.S. officials emphasized the need for the Government to demonstrate that the people could trust the electoral system. The Ambassador engaged high-level officials on the need to conduct credible and transparent elections. He also stressed the need for practical steps, such as proper training for election officials and accurate voter lists. In October, the Ambassador and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) resident Ambassadors met with the Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) to stress the need for a transparent election process. The United States ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
In June 2001 Albania held Parliamentary elections. According to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) the elections improved over past elections in terms of the conduct of the campaign; however, ODIHR noted serious irregularities in the voting process. The Socialist Party (SP) and its allies won 88 of 140 parliamentary seats in general elections held from June through August 2001. ... [Read More]
Albania
The Constitution provides citizens with the right to change their government peacefully and citizens exercise this right in practice through periodic elections held on the basis of universal suffrage. General elections, which began in June and ended in August, were deemed by international monitoring organizations to be an improvement over past contests; however, some serious irregularities occurred, and problems worsened during each round of voting. Five rounds of voting, beginning in June and ending in August, were required to complete the process. The Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly commended political parties for processing their complaints through internationally accepted frameworks. The OSCE's ODIHR, which observed the elections, noted that there was progress in the areas of election administration, media coverage, and campaign conduct; however, ODIHR's final report noted that the election process was "protracted, uncertain, and fragmented." It also noted some serious i ... [Read More]
Albania
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion and the Government generally respected this right in practice. According to the Constitution, there is no official religion, and all religions are equal; however, the predominant religious communities (Sunni, Bektashi, Orthodox, and Roman Catholic) enjoy de facto recognition that gives them the legal right to hold bank accounts, own property and buildings, and to function as legal entities based on their historical presence in the country. Religious movements--with the exception of the four de facto recognized religions--may acquire the official status of a legal entity by registering under the Law on Associations, which recognizes the status of a nonprofit association irrespective of whether the organization has a cultural, recreational, religious, or humanitarian character. While the Government does not require registration or licensing of religious groups, the State Committee on Cult ... [Read More]
Democracy - US Department of State
Kyrgyz Election a "Significant Step" Toward Democracy, U.S. SaysInternational observers also note "tangible progress," respect for rightsThe United States congratulates the winner of the July 10 elections in Kyrgyzstan, acting President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, as well as the people of Kyrgyzstan. The Kyrgyz Parliament confirmed Bakiyev as acting president after former President Askar Akayev was driven from office by street protests on March 24. (complete text) [Read More]
Albania
The Government did not restrict access to the Internet; however, less than 1 percent of the population had access to the Internet because it was too expensive. The Government did not restrict academic freedom. b. Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association The Constitution provides for freedom of assembly, and the Government generally respected this right in practice. The law requires organizers to notify police about gatherings in public places, and the police may refuse to permit them for reasons such as security and traffic; however, there were no reports that such denials were made arbitrarily. On May 15 and 26, former political prisoners and victims of political persecution staged a formal protest on Tirana's main boulevard, se ... [Read More]
Albania (05/05)
Nationwide municipal elections were held in October 2003. Although a significant improvement over past years, there were still widespread administrative errors, including inaccuracies in the voter lists. The “truce” between party leaders began fraying in summer 2003. Progress on economic and political reforms suffered noticeably during the latter half of 2003 because of political infighting. However, in December 2003, Prime Minister Nano reasserted his leadership of the ruling Socialist Party and appointed a new Cabinet. ... [Read More]
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