Interview in Politiko/ DP Coordinator for the Diaspora Vote: Here are the government's attempts to manipulate the emigrant vote

Since January 11, the PER online platform has officially opened applications for immigrants who want to register as voters from abroad, a novelty for the parliamentary elections on May 11 this year. The platform will be open until March 4, and there seems to have been high interest in this process from immigrants from all over the world.

But how is the opposition following this process, which it describes as a historic moment for the future of the country?

Ted Kopliku, DP coordinator for the Diaspora, in an interview with Politiko.al, showed the steps that immigrants who wish to be represented on May 11th should follow.

In addition to technicalities, Koplik also pointed out the difficulties encountered so far, or where the government will attempt to manipulate the vote from across the border.

However, the opposition representative expresses optimism that 'the diaspora will be the army of free people that will defeat the army of patronage Nazis who are putting pressure on the administration even in the diaspora'.

By Suela Gjidede

Why is the diaspora vote important?

The right to vote is a constitutional right enjoyed by every Albanian inside and outside the country. It is important, first and foremost, that the state ensures this right. The Albanian diaspora, among other things, is an important actor in the Albanian economy, these 34 years of democracy where it has grown, along with its role, especially in the last 12 years.

 It is also important for a political reason, because by being away from the pressure of the regime in Albania, they can be the saviors of democracy, which is more in danger than ever in the post-communist period.

What are the steps an immigrant who wants to vote on May 11th should follow?

Initially, you need an electronic device that has a camera to register on the PER platform and show your face during the registration process along with other personal data.

Currently, the necessary conditions to vote are a valid Albanian identification document and proof of address.

The list of accepted documents is on the CEC website. The Democratic Party is working to further facilitate identification.

 With the start of the new parliamentary session, a DCM will be required to accept biometric documents beyond the expiration dates or even foreign documents until the elections, as long as the identity of Albanians who appear on the CEC voter lists is verified. It is expected to be seen in the coming weeks whether this will be accepted by the Albanian government, to further facilitate voting for Albanian emigrants.

What is the difficulty faced by Albanians in emigration seeking representation?

The difficulties are generally related to a lack of understanding of the process or some technical defects (photo process, address editing, rejection of birthplace or personal number), but overall the process is going well.

It should be retested if the process stops and an email should be sent to the CEC for specific cases. The DP is assisting in this process with the website pd.al/diasporavoton, which is in addition to the assistance that the CEC website itself provides for the process.

The questions and answers encountered so far and a highly interactive website are accompanying Albanians around the world to register for PER to vote from the countries where they live.

How much do you see the diaspora's desire to vote and how much is this in favor of the opposition?

In the first days of registration, there is a high interest in this process, which is happening for the first time in Albania, so I hope it will continue at the same pace until March 4th, when the registration deadline is.

 In my opinion, a large part of the diaspora consists of people who have fled because this government has made life here impossible, and for this reason the diaspora's vote will be a protest vote.

 Unlike the immigrants who initially fled for a better life, for the past 12 years Albanians have been fleeing due to misgovernment. I am confident that the diaspora will be the army of free people that will defeat the army of patronage-mongers who are putting pressure on the administration even in the diaspora.

How likely is it that the immigrant vote will be manipulated?

There are attempts initially to export pressure through the state administration to their family members and friends in the diaspora. Even in this attempt, I believe that the Party-State will achieve more easily than the opposition to register the diaspora, but it will not necessarily be a vote for the government.

Collective voting poses a risk if it is done in the format of collective registrations that we saw in Thessaloniki, where SP exponents themselves provided us with footage of offices being taken to carry out the process, making sensitive personal data available to party members. However, the DP will follow the entire process and ensure the protection of every vote inside and outside the country.

As the opposition, do you have contacts with immigrants to receive suggestions from them, as a new moment for Albania with the diaspora?

Senior DP exponents are in meetings all over the world and of course we are in a campaign similar to what we will do in Albania after the closure of the Diaspora registration, but Albania has taken on the dimensions of the world.

The meetings are definitely symbolic, because meeting with the Diaspora is impossible all over the world, but there is a sensitivity to the diaspora's suggestions to integrate them into our political offer for the May 11 elections.

This is a good opportunity for the opposition to start an intensive campaign for the first time 4 months in advance./Politiko.al/