Ditari i Opozitës

Bylykbashi: Government is blocking voting rights for immigrants with expired documents

Bylykbashi: Government is blocking voting rights for immigrants with expired

As the deadline for the May 11 parliamentary election approaches, the issue of the migrant vote is turning into a fiery political debate. The process of diaspora online registration, already initiated, is being accompanied by problems, which have been denounced by the opposition.

The deputy leader of the Democratic Party, Oerd Bylykbashi, has raised concern about the difficulties that many Albanians who want to register to vote are facing because of the expiration of identity documents. According to Bylykbashi, the majority is exploiting this situation for political gain.

"While the law is harsh and says whoever has valid documents can be registered. A large part of the document is out. We are fortunately told by ODIHR that 600 thousand people have expired documents.

That is the government's duty. In 2021 and 2023, in a similar situation, a decision was issued to extend the deadline for validity of the expired document only to vote. In Himare, they left 6,000 people without voting and robbed the municipality.

The government must pass an act before January 11 to resolve the problem. The Constitution says that Albanian citizens have the right to vote. The PS will leave out those who do not have documents and renew only those it has in patronage. The ministry has taken out mobile consulates, something illegal. They only take it to those who want to," Bylykbashi told Journalist Andrea Danglli in Off the Record.

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