Organization of free elections is a key committment, says OSCE ambassador

The organization of free, transparent and inclusive elections is among the key commitments of the OSCE participating States”, Ambassador Guido De Sanctis recalled today at a roundtable on protection of election integrity organized by the Albanian Helsinki Committee and other civil society organizations.

The Head of Presence said that Albania has achieved a lot in the past, but there is still some work to do, and this work can only be done if institutions and parties engage in a dialogue based on trust.

Stressing the importance of the integrity of candidates, De Sanctis said that it is also a matter of ethics other than rules, and that the proper vetting of candidates is in the power of each political party. He pointed out that the voter is the most important component of elections and voters have to be able to choose freely.

De Sanctis also brought to the attention some of the findings and recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR regarding vote-buying, misuse of administrative resources and use of electoral campaign footages prepared by political parties in the news.