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The head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime in Albania, Altin Dumani, presented the strategy for preventing electoral crimes at a roundtable organized by civil society regarding the parliamentary elections of May 11th.
“This is a constitutional and legal obligation, but certainly, no one should be afraid and should continue in their daily normality, as long as they are not in violation of the law,” said Dumani.
Dumani emphasized that “elections are inextricably linked to the rule of law, the fight against corruption with good governance, transparency, and accountability, which are part of the first group-chapter of negotiations with the EU.”
He assured that the investigation will be conducted in accordance with the law and without political influence.
Present at the table, the European Union ambassador in Tirana, Silvio Gonzato, stated that the task force established by SPAK for monitoring the elections of May 11th is a welcomed initiative by him to ensure free and fair elections.
Gonzato said that “vote buying and voter pressure continue to be a problem in Albania.”
“I look forward to hearing more from these institutions about their initiative and coordination,” said Gonzato.
“As part of EU membership negotiations, Albania committed to further strengthening its electoral process. This includes addressing all unresolved recommendations from ODIHR, including increasing efforts by law enforcement agencies to identify and investigate all allegations of electoral violations fully, timely, and transparently,” emphasized Gonzato. (February 22)