15 Mar 12 / 13:04:17
Eight Indicted for Fraud in Albanian Elections
Prosecutors in Lezha on Tuesday indicted eight poll
commissioners for rigging the elections in the commune of Dajc on May
8, 2011.
BIRN
Tirana
The eight suspects "are accused of abuse of power
and falsifying documents and the results of the elections,” the General
Prosecutor’s office said.
According to the indictment, the eight commissioners falsified signatures and cast ballots for 109 voters who were not present on election day - mostly emigrants who do not reside in Albania.
The indictment comes as parliament is discussing amendments to the criminal code, which will increase penalties for those found guilty of electoral fraud.
The proposal, backed by the Socialist opposition, has been opposed by Prime Minister Sali Berisha and his ruling Democratic Party.
Albania has suffered a long and tumultuous transition to democracy since it emerged from the Stalinist regime of Enver Hoxha in 1991. No elections held since the collapse of the regime have met international standards and allegations of fraud and disputed results have been widespread.
In one well known case from the 2009 parliamentary election in the village of Ruzhdie, in the region of Fier, several commissioners were found guilty of election fraud.
Five commissioners from the ruling Democratic Party were sentenced to seven months’ prison each and fined 450,000 lek (€3,190) for election fraud.
Three other opposition commissioners were also sentenced by the court in Fier to pay fines of 150,000 lek (€1,070) for abandoning a polling station on polling day.
The case of Ruzhdie was the highest profile case of election fraud from the June 2009 disputed parliamentary elections, which the Democratic Party narrowly won.
According to the indictment, the eight commissioners falsified signatures and cast ballots for 109 voters who were not present on election day - mostly emigrants who do not reside in Albania.
The indictment comes as parliament is discussing amendments to the criminal code, which will increase penalties for those found guilty of electoral fraud.
The proposal, backed by the Socialist opposition, has been opposed by Prime Minister Sali Berisha and his ruling Democratic Party.
Albania has suffered a long and tumultuous transition to democracy since it emerged from the Stalinist regime of Enver Hoxha in 1991. No elections held since the collapse of the regime have met international standards and allegations of fraud and disputed results have been widespread.
In one well known case from the 2009 parliamentary election in the village of Ruzhdie, in the region of Fier, several commissioners were found guilty of election fraud.
Five commissioners from the ruling Democratic Party were sentenced to seven months’ prison each and fined 450,000 lek (€3,190) for election fraud.
Three other opposition commissioners were also sentenced by the court in Fier to pay fines of 150,000 lek (€1,070) for abandoning a polling station on polling day.
The case of Ruzhdie was the highest profile case of election fraud from the June 2009 disputed parliamentary elections, which the Democratic Party narrowly won.
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