In today’s meeting, the Regulatory Commission reviewed and approved the draft decision “On the approval of some procedural deadlines related to the by-elections for mayor in the municipalities of Shkodra, Dibra, Durres, Vora, Rrogozhina and Lushnja, which will take place on March 6, 2022”.

The procedural deadlines approved by the Regulator are as follows:

1. The municipalities, where the by-elections will take place and their subordinate institutions are obliged to report to the CEC all activities of public character that they plan to carry out in the period 31 January 2022 until 06 March 2022. The same obligation is also for central public institutions, their subordinate bodies and their local branches, as well as state agencies and / or enterprises, for activities of public character, which they plan to develop in the period 31 January 2022 to 06 March 2022, in the territory of the municipalities where the by-elections will take place.
2. The election campaign for the local by-elections for mayor in the municipalities of Shkodra, Dibra, Durres, Vora, Rrogozhina and Lushnje starts on February 19, 2022.
3. The civil status offices, in cooperation with the General Directorate of Civil Status, compile the voter lists no later than January 25, 2022. Within 48 hours from the completion of the updating, the mayors of the local government units approve and announce the voter lists, in accordance with Article 48 of the Electoral Code.
4. Political parties which have the right to present a member / secretary in CEAZ no. 2, CEAZ no. 3, CEAZ no. 4, CEAZ no. 5, of the municipality of Shkodra, Shkodra Region; CEAZ no. 19, of the municipality of Dibër, Dibër Region; CEAZ no. 21, CEAZ no. 22, CEAZ no. 23, CEAZ no. 24, of the municipality of Durrës, Durrës Region; CEAZ no. 26, of the municipality of Vora, Tirana Region; in CEAZ no. 43 of the municipality of Rrogozhina, Tirana Region; and in CEAZ no. 54 and CEAZ no. 55 of the municipality of Lushnje, Fier Region, for the by-elections for mayor, must submit the proposals to the Central Election Commission, no later than January 25, 2022. The State Election Commissioner approves the composition of the CEAZs no later than the date 27 January 2022.
5. Political parties which have the right to nominate members of the VCC, must submit them to the respective CEAZs no later than February 11, 2022. The CEAZs decide on the appointment of VCC members, no later than the date 14 February 2022.
6. Political parties that have the right to nominate members of the BCC must submit them to the CEAZ no later than February 22, 2022. The CEAZ decides on the appointment of members of the BCCs, within 48 hours from date of submission of proposals.
7. Political parties must submit to the CEC the request for registration as electoral subjects, for the by-elections for mayor in the municipalities of Shkodra, Dibra, Durres, Vora, Rrogozhina and Lushnje, and the Initiating Committees for the municipalities of Shkodra, Durres and Lushnja, from 28 January to 31 January 2022. The CEC returns for completion the documentation within 24 hours of submission. Political parties submit the corrected documentation within 24 hours of returning for completion. The State Election Commissioner approves the registration requests within 24 hours from the resubmission of the documentation.
8. The Initiating Committees must submit the request for registration as electoral subjects, for the by-elections for mayor in the municipalities of Dibër, Vora and Rrogozhina in the respective CEAZ, from January 28 to January 31, 2022. The CEAZ returns for completion of documentation within 24 hours of submission. Initiating Committees submit the corrected documentation within 24 hours of return for completion. The CEAZ approves the requests for registration within 24 hours from the resubmission of the documentation.
9. Electoral coalitions must submit the application for registration as a coalition for the by-elections for mayor in the municipalities of Shkodra, Vora, Durres, Dibra, Rrogozhina and Lushnja, to the CEC within 24 hours from the approval of all applications for registration of political parties and initiating committees. The State Election Commissioner approves the application for registration as a coalition within 24 hours.
10. The candidacy documentation are submitted to the CEC for the municipalities of Shkodra, Durrës and Lushnje, as well as to the CEAZ for the municipalities of Vora, Dibër and Rrogozhina, from 6 to 9 February 2022. The CEC / CEAZ verifies them no later than 24 hours from the submission and in case of irregularities, returns them for completion. Completed documents must be resubmitted no later than 24 hours. The CEC / CEAZ makes a decision no later than 24 hours from their resubmission.
11. The application for accreditation of Albanian observers is submitted to the Central Election Commission no later than February 18, 2022 and for international observers is made no later than March 2, 2022.
12. The submission of applications for accreditation by the electoral subjects participating in the elections is done in the CEAZ no later than March 1, 2022. The accreditation of observers is done no later than March 2, 2022.
13. The mayors should submit to the CEC the completed list of voting centers facilities that meet the requirements provided by law, no later than January 27, 2022.
14. The Prefects of Shkodra, Tirana, Durrës, Dibër and Fier Regions submit to the CEC the completed list of facilities within the territory of the Region which meet the requirements provided by law for the Ballot Counting Center, no later than January 27, 2022 .
15. The results of the election polls may not be published during the last 3 days before the election date, including the E-day until the closing time of the voting process.
16. The mayors on duty should determine the public places in the territory of the respective municipality for the advertisement of the propaganda materials by the electoral subjects no later than the date 10 February, 2022.

Also, the Regulatory Commission approved an amendment to the regulation on the manner of functioning and conduct of CSC sessions. The amendment consisted in determining the deadline of appeal to the CSC, where for early and / or partial elections the deadline for appeal 3 (days) is replaced by 24 hours.