Today, the Central Election Commission has launched the process of destroying personal data in the electronic identification devices (PEI) and the electronic voter identification system (SEIV) used during the elections of April 25, 2021.
Destruction of personal data is based on Article 14, Article 19, points 1, “n”, and 2, and Article 178, point 6, of law no. 10019, dated 12.29.2008, “Electoral Code of the Republic of Albania” as amended, the law no. 9887, dated 10.03.2008, “On the protection of personal data” as amended, instruction no. 14, dated 12.22.2011, and decision no. 04, dated 01.22.2022 of the State Election Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner.
Present to monitor closely the process were the State Election Commissioner, Mr. Ilirjan Celibashi, the Deputy Commissioner Ms. Lealba Pelinku, the Commissioner for the Right to Information and Personal Data Protection, Mr. Besnik Dervishi, as well as representatives of political parties, civil society, and media.
Commissioner Celibashi in his speech stressed the importance of the process of destroying the citizens’ personal data. Mr. Celibashi guaranteed that the measures have been taken to ensure that the process is safe and that there are no problems (misuse of data).
Commissioner Dervishi said that this important process is the final act of a legal obligation. He stated that the electoral process is related to the processing of electoral information, but we are also dealing with personal data of citizens that were imposed by the amendments to the Electoral Code. Further, he stated that since the beginning of the election process there has been close cooperation with the CEC to implement technical and organizational measures to protect the personal data of voters.
The process of destruction of personal data in the PEI device and the SEIV system is carried out in the premises of the CEC’s warehouse in Lundër and will be carried out within a time frame of 10 days, to proceed with the use of the device and the system in by- elections for 6 municipalities on March 6, 2022.
