The OSCE Presence in Albania and the Central Election Commission (CEC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to intensify co-operation for advancing CEC’s capacities to carry out its work in line with OSCE/ODIHR recommendations and best international standards.

“This document is a symbol of a strong and continued co-operation between the OSCE Presence and the CEC. The CEC has been one of the key and most trusted partners of the Presence for years, and therefore support to Central Election Commission has been among our top priorities throughout my term. The three letters of the CEC should read Consistency, Efficiency and Credibility,” the Head of Presence, Ambassador Vincenzo Del Monaco, said at the signing event. He added that an impartial, capacitated and well-equipped electoral administration is crucial for the integrity of the electoral processes. “In this context, the Presence stands ready to assist the CEC in facing any challenges for the preparation and management of the 2023 local elections,” he said.

In the framework of the broader electoral reform, Ambassador Del Monaco highlighted that the Presence values the resuming of activity of the ad hoc parliamentary committee on Electoral Reform, and encouraged it to address the outstanding OSCE/ODIHR recommendations through a broadly consulted process. He said that, from a technical point of view and based on international best practices, time is getting increasingly short for substantive legal changes to be applicable to the upcoming elections.

State Election Commissioner Ilirjan Celibashi expressed his gratitude to the OSCE Presence, thanking Ambassador Del Monaco for his commitment and continued support to the CEC. “We have entered an important stage in the institutional relations between the CEC and the OSCE Presence, and today’s MoU testifies to our bilateral co-operation to date. I believe that we will keep the same level of co-operation in the future. We still have a lot to do; the local government elections are very close, so the support of the OSCE Presence, as one of our key partners, has a role to play in the good administration of the electoral process,” Celibashi said.

The agreement signed today establishes a strong foundation to move forward with tangible actions and interventions in a number of key areas. These include support to the CEC to address OSCE/ODIHR’s recommendations and those stemming from the Albanian Assembly’s resolutions; enhancing its expertise for the administration of elections including on training and voter outreach capacities; and joining forces in facilitating the co-ordination of international assistance on electoral matters.

In line with its mandate, throughout the years, the OSCE Presence in Albania has provided continued support to the Albanian authorities, with the aim of facilitating consensual, timely and inclusive electoral reform processes, as well as offering technical assistance on improving the administration of elections.