BIRN: Recount of May 11 ballot boxes will last until July

The "Farie Hoti" Sports Palace hall in Tirana will not host sporting events for about 1 month, as from Tuesday onwards it will be put at the service of counting groups set up by the Central Election Commission for the vote recount process of the May 11 elections.

Following the decisions taken by the Complaints and Sanctions Commission to open the ballot boxes in several districts of the country based mainly on opposition contestations, a process that seems to cost the country additional energy and costs without any expectation of changing the preliminary election result, where the socialist party has received a fourth governing mandate with an almost qualified majority of seats in the Assembly.

It will be the CEC administration that will recount tens of thousands of votes to issue the final results of these elections, a procedure that is expected to extend the certification of the elections until at least the end of July at a cost exceeding 200 thousand euros.

The State Election Commissioner, Ilirjan Celibashi, on Monday gave a snapshot of the recount process, which he promised would be guaranteed by professionalism and transparency towards the public in a live broadcast around the clock on the CEC's social media.

According to official figures, a total of 2,323 polling stations will be opened, including 85 ballot boxes from abroad. The process will involve 24 counting groups, with 63 administration employees, and from a technical point of view, the recount will be carried out at 24 tables, where observers authorized by the complaining entities will be present.

There are several districts for which a decision has been made to recount the total or only some electoral zones. The recount in Tirana district, the largest district in the country, is awaited with interest, where all ballot boxes within the country, 1,282 voting centers, will be included in the process.

Also the Fier district, where all ballot boxes for subjects and candidates with a total of 587 voting centers will be recounted.

In the Durrës district, there will be a full recount for 111 voting centers of CEAZ no. 21 and 22; 126 centers listed by the DP-ASHM and 60 centers requested by the Legality Movement Party.

In total, 360 ballot boxes will be opened for recount in this district, of which 85 boxes belong to Diaspora votes.

The recount will also be subject to 94 Voting Centers of CEAZ No. 45 and 52 of the Elbasan district, a decision taken on Friday at the request of KAS members, Elvis Çefa and Ledio Braho, after the opposition coalition's appeal was rejected by a majority vote.

The financial cost of this process will be around 215 thousand euros, which will go towards the system for the registration and online transmission of results, the logistical infrastructure, and for envelopes and supporting materials. According to Celibashi, this cost will be covered by the fund allocated to the CEC for the May 11 elections.

The complaints filed with the CEC raise allegations of irregularities in the voting and vote counting process.

In Tirana, the DP-ASHM coalition hopes to win its 14th mandate, a race between the Democratic candidate, Ilir Alimehmeti, and the second candidate on the list of the Mundësia party, Erald Kapri, who is the preliminary winner.

However, the recount may result in other scenarios related to the preferential vote within the majority, where Blerina Gjylameti lost her mandate by a handful of votes to Olta Xhaçka, but withdrew from the contest after being "pulled" by Prime Minister Edi Rama.

In Fier, the Albania Movement is hoping to win a mandate and is battling with the Socialist Party. In the Durrës district, the ASHM candidate is Aulon Kalaja, who, like Gjunkshi, has raised allegations of manipulation of preferential votes within the party.

Experts see this process as a gauge for the integrity of the election administration, which could bring criminal consequences for commissioners and counting teams if irregularities are found, and spur new electoral reform./ BIRN