Chairman of the Central Election Commission, Ilirjan Celibashi, has brought back into focus the need for intervention in the Electoral Code, calling for the upcoming amendments to take into account the problems identified in previous elections.
In a statement to the media, Celibashi stressed that the electoral reform should have already addressed the problematic issues, but, in his view, there is still a window of time for political parties to agree on the necessary interventions. He particularly pointed to the need to define more clearly the role of state institutions in the electoral process, as well as to strengthen control and oversight mechanisms.
”Changes to the Electoral Code should aim for clearer rules on efficiency and control and oversight mechanisms”, said Celibashi, emphasizing that the problems of past processes must be resolved through the new legal framework. Another issue that, according to the CEC chairman, requires intervention is aligning the Electoral Code with the new law on administrative-territorial division.
Celibashi argued that territorial changes make it necessary to review the provisions governing the election of municipal council members, as well as the way regions and different territorial units are represented. “Adoption of the new law on administrative-territorial division requires harmonization of the provisions of the Electoral Code”, he stated.
In this context, the CEC chairman called on political parties to take responsibility for the process of legal amendments, stressing that territorial representation should be one of the elements addressed within the framework of the reform.