OSCE Chairman calls on all parties in Albania to make sure parliamentary elections are transparent and fair

TIRANA, 11 April 2005 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, said today that parliamentary elections in Albania, scheduled for this summer, would be a major test for the country and should be conducted according to international standards.

"This year's parliamentary elections are critically important for the future of Albania and its democracy," said Minister Rupel.

"The international community has made these elections a major test for the country and an indicator of its political stability," added the OSCE Chairman. "If Albania wants to be a member of Euro-Atlantic structures, it must live up to its obligations, depart from the bad practices of the past and consolidate its democracy through having good and orderly elections."

During his visit to Tirana on Monday, he met President Alfred Moisiu, Prime Minister Fatos Nano and Foreign Minister Kastriot Islami, as well as representatives of different parties and NGOs.

The Chairman called on all actors to demonstrate maximum political will to conduct the elections according to OSCE standards, pledging the continued support of the Organization in this process.

"All political leaders in Albania share the responsibility to ensure that these elections are conducted in line with international standards," said the Chairman-in-Office.

He encouraged them to focus on the content of their electoral campaigns and address issues of real concern to the public, rather than politicise the technical issues of the electoral preparations.

The Chairman welcomed the recent adoption of the new Electoral Code and new electoral zones as well as the ongoing work on an improved voter list.

Minister Rupel expressed support for the efforts of political leaders to integrate the country into the European Union and NATO structures, but noted that Albania is the only country in the Balkans to still have significant problems with conducting elections, despite the supportive efforts of the international community.

Minister Rupel praised the work of the OSCE Presence in Albania, especially in the areas of election support and property reform, property restitution, parliamentary reform, human rights, democratization, anti-trafficking and border management. He also welcomed the Presence's response to the initiative of the Chairmanship in launching a project on children's human rights education designed to reach youngsters and teachers in remote areas of the country.

The Chairman-in-Office also took part in a roundtable on the elections in 2005, organized by the OSCE Presence.