Albania: OSCE Chairman encourages further electoral reform

MADRID, 20 February 2007- The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, welcomed today the holding of local elections in Albania last Sunday 18 February, following an agreement reached by the political parties with the assistance of the OSCE last 13 January. He highlighted the role of the Albanian Central Elections Commission in the development of the electoral process.

Minister Moratinos called on Albanian institutions and political parties to continue their co-operation in pursuit of electoral reform and asked them to follow up on OSCE/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights recommendations. In particular, "these elections have reconfirmed that determined efforts are required by the Albanian authorities to ensure that Albania gets a fully reliable electoral system", the Chairman said.

The OSCE Chairman reiterated the willingness of the Organization to work with all stakeholders on the implementation of recommendations which ODIHR will present in its Final Report, making all efforts to consolidate the Albanian electoral system according to international standards defined by OSCE, and offered OSCE's assistance and support in that respect.