TIRANA, Nov 9 /ATA/ Oerd Bylykbashi, the Democratic Party’s co-chair of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reform, accused the Socialist Party of lacking the political will to address OSCE/ODIHR recommendations.
Speaking at the committee’s meeting, Bylykbashi said the reform should prioritise separating the state from the ruling party and ensuring free and fair elections.
He added that the opposition had prepared a package of proposals aimed at restricting the use of state resources during election campaigns and protecting voters from pressure exerted by those in power.
“The opposition has made its position clear: the reform must tackle the issue of separating state institutions from the ruling party, which lies at the heart of the problems undermining a level playing field, equal electoral opportunities and voters’ freedom from government pressure,” Bylykbashi said.
He said the Democratic Party and other opposition groups had a comprehensive package of amendments ready to submit once the committee resumed its work in line with its consensus-based procedures.
The proposed measures seek to prevent the ruling party from using state resources for electoral purposes, shield voters from political pressure and protect the integrity of the electoral process, Bylykbashi said.
“Without these safeguards, free, equal and fair elections are impossible,” he added.
Bylykbashi said the opposition was demanding fully open proportional lists for both parliamentary and municipal elections, while rejecting the majority’s proposed Electoral Code amendments linked to the new territorial division, arguing that they would change the electoral system.
“According to him, the SP’s unilateral decision to put electoral changes on the committee’s agenda represents a direct overhaul of how municipal councilors are chosen. The proposal shifts the system from municipal-wide proportional representation to smaller, rural-zone voting blocks. He maintained that such sweeping legal changes should not be imposed unilaterally, noting that the opposition considers the territorial redivision unconstitutional and that the move lacks the necessary endorsement of the OSCE-ODIHR.”
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