Observation rules
- In the Republic of Albania, local and international non government organizations, international organizations specialized or focused on good governance and democratisation, representatives of foreign countries and the media, have the right to appoint observers for all types of elections.
- The requests for accreditation by local observers are submitted to the CEC no later than 15 days before the election day.
- The requests for accreditation by international observers are submitted to the CEC no later than 72 hours before the election.
- Each foreign non government organization and international organizations cannot have, at the same time, two observers in a voting center.
- Accreditation of observers in the election commission is done based on the personal data of each observer.
- The observers have the right to monitor the election commissions of all levels, based on the respective authorisation issued by the CEC, or depending on the case, by the CEAZ.
- The accreditation authorisation is valid when it is accompanied by an identification document.
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Accreditation application form can be downloaded here.
THE ELECTORAL CODE OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
(approved by Law No. 10019, dated 29.12.2008 and amended by Laws No.74/2012, dated 19.07.2012, No. 31/2015, dated 02.04.2015, No. 101/2020, dated 23.7.2020, and No. 118/2020, dated 5.10.2020)
CHAPTER II
OBSERVERS
Article 6
Right to appoint observers
- Any political entity that is registered with the CEC as an electoral subject shall have the right to appoint one observer to the CEAZ, the VCC, and to each table of the Ballot Counting Centre after the registration of the candidate/s for the respective electoral zone or after submitting a multi-name list. In the event of political parties participating in elections as a coalition, the right to appoint observers shall solely rest with the coalition. The coalition may appoint no more than three representatives per coalition. Political party candidates shall not have the right to appoint observers.
- Albanian and foreign non-governmental organisations, international organisations specialised or engaged in the area of good governance and democratisation, as well as representatives of foreign countries and of the media shall have the right to send observers to the elections.
- Repealed.
- Accreditation of observers to electoral commissions shall be conducted on the grounds of individual data for each observer. The accreditation may include one or more voting centres or one or more electoral zones. An Albanian non-governmental organisation or a coalition of such organisations, a political party, or a candidate proposed by voters, may not have more than one observer present at the same time in a voting centre. Any foreign non-governmental organisation and international organisations may not have more than two foreign observers at the same time in a voting centre. In the event of political parties participating in elections as a coalition, the right to appoint observers shall solely rest with the coalition. The coalition may appoint no more than three representatives per coalition.
- Requests of Albanian observers for accreditation shall be submitted to the CEC no later than 15 days before the election date. The CEC shall approve requests no later than 5 days from their submission. Requests by foreign observers shall be submitted to the CEC no later than 72 hours before the election date. The CEC shall approve requests of foreign observers within 24 hours from their submission. An appeal against refusal or failure to grant accreditation may be filed, in accordance with the procedures provided for in this Code.
- The CEC shall have the right to delegate CEAZs the competency of accrediting observers, through special instruction, in accordance with point 1 of this Article.