Brussels, 18/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 17 June, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton and Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle put pressure on Albania because they consider the holding of Albania's parliamentary elections on 23 June as “a crucial test for the country's democratic institutions and its progress towards the European Union”.
In Ashton and Füle's view, it is “the joint responsibility of all Albanian political leaders and parties to reinforce the confidence and trust of the public in the electoral process and create conditions for election results to be accepted by all”. “It is key that the political leaders find a way, acceptable to all, to make the Central Electoral Commission fully operational”, Ashton and Füle added.
Closely monitoring the preparations for the elections, Ashton and Füle reiterated the need for the elections to be organised in line with international and European standards. Respect for the conclusions of the OSCE's interim report will be crucial.
The holding of fair and equitable elections is one of the conditions for Albania to obtain European Union candidate status. On Sunday 23 June, over 3 million Albanians will go to the polls to elect 140 members of parliament. (CG/transl.fl)