Author: Dallandyshe Xhaferri
-"Did you go to vote, because these workers are asking me?"
-"Come on, how are you? We went there twice because the equipment was not working since the morning. no worries"
This conversation, carried out during the election day of May 14, on a mobile device, was sent to the "Sinjalizo" platform, by a sanitary worker of public institutions, who, under conditions of anonymity, indicates that "one month before the local elections, I collected the identity cards of my acquaintances so that the people in leadership positions, who are in the government, could verify that our vote went to them". Further, she tells how her daughter was given the opportunity for a job as an educator, without having to compete and meet the criteria.
"My daughter lives in Elbasan and the SP coordinator in her unit promised her that he would hire her as an educator after the elections, but what does he want? She doesn't have school", - says the whistleblower, on the condition of anonymity.
Recruitment of employees a few months before the local elections on May 14
The General Directorate of Taxes has informed "Sinjalizo" that only during the period from February to April 5 of this year, 10 employees were employed in the Central Tax Administration. According to the data made available by this institution, it results that in this pre-election period 3 employees were recruited in the General Directorate of Taxes, 4 others, namely 2 in the Shkodër Regional Tax Directorate and 2 in that of Tirana, followed by Regional Tax Directorates Dibër, Durrës, as well as the recruitment of an employee was registered in the Directorate of Large Taxpayers. In the return of the answer, there is no mention of the recruitment of employees in the Elbasan Regional Directorate, while during an investigation by "Sinjalizo" it turns out that on the recommendation of the Labor Office, at least 2 employees were hired with a 6-month contract in March of this year.
Meanwhile, in a report by the Commissioner for the Supervision of the Civil Service for the monitoring of civil servants for the parliamentary elections of 2021, 14 appointments in violation of the law were identified.
Meanwhile, in the Interim Pre-Election Report, the Albanian Helsinki Committee reported 2 days before the opening of the election process, that voters were aware of the opening of new jobs in the public administration a few months before the elections.
"Voters in these municipalities (Kukës, Korçë, Malësi e Madhe, Lezhë, Fier and Durrës) claim that they are aware of the opening of new jobs in the state administration recently, also for the benefit of the electoral campaign. Meanwhile, they have the perception that employment in the public administration is carried out through a non-meritocratic evaluation, but based on their party commitment, especially during the campaign", - KShH reports.
Drilona Hoxhaj, the spokesperson of the Central Election Commission, admits during the interview for "Sinjalizo" that there have been no shortage of complaints about employment in the administration during the pre-election period.
"The Central Election Commission has administered 2 complaints about employment in the administration and during the administrative investigation it was not possible to prove that the employment was carried out during the prohibition period".- says Hoxhaj, who emphasizes that "The Electoral Code prohibits employment or leave, release, movement and transfer to office only 'during the election campaign' period which, referring to article 77, item 1 of the Electoral Code, begins 30 (thirty) days before the date of the elections and ends 24 (twenty and four) hours before the election date", she says.
CEC: We have not administered any denunciation of vote buying
The Albanian Committee of Helsinki informs "Sinjalizo" that voters on May 12, two days before the holding of local elections, have affirmed the massiveness of the act of buying and selling votes.
"In the Municipality of Lezhë, it has been claimed that the electoral subjects offer sums of money that reach the value of 100 euros for the vote for members of the Municipal Council, as well as there are massive cases of the distribution of oil tolls as a reward for various individuals who engage in electoral meetings",- announces the KShH, while the report also underlines the pressure put on citizens to vote for one political party.
"KShH is familiar with data signaled on the ground, in Elbasan Municipality, according to which, it is claimed that high exponents of the electoral subject SP put pressure on voters by conveying information that on the day of voting, their vote will be easily identifiable", - it is stated in the ASC report while it is reported that "lack of quick investigations and provision of protection to whistleblowers" are two of the main reasons why ordinary citizens are indifferent to reports of election crimes, mainly vote buying.
The spokeswoman of the CEC, Hoxhaj reinforces this fact by affirming that "The Central Elections Commission has not administered any denunciation regarding the buying and selling of votes,"- adding that,- "the most problems have appeared in the centers voting of the municipalities of Tirana, Durrës, Kamëz, Elbasan, Vlorë, Lezhë, Shkodër, Tropojë, Korçë, Pogradec, Selenica, Konispol, Dropull, Peshkopi, Berat and Malësi e Madhe".
Gerta Meta, executive director of the "Society for Democratic Culture" tells "Sinjalizo" that "Vote buying is a phenomenon to be proven by the political parties or institutions themselves as they have failed to catch it in the act". meanwhile adds that this process "it is evident and understandable for the citizens, either with cash, or with favors for breaking the law".
"Be it rewards with tenders or PPPs for luring businessmen to finance election campaigns without proper transparency based on the Electoral Code, intimidation of administration employees or specific rewards from the government for different target groups during the election campaign", - continues Meta, adding that another way of buying and selling votes is "inflating the administration in campaigns or even activities prohibited by state institutions 4 months before the elections",- she concludes, emphasizing that "all these forms serve to increase the pressure to buy and sell votes".
31 criminal reports in the Prosecutor's Office, CEC: Insufficient evidence
The General Prosecutor's Office has informed "Sinjalizo" that during the last local elections for election crimes "31 criminal charges were registered" and "6 people were arrested in the act, of which 2 in Saranda, 2 in Tirana, 2 in Vlora".
This institution further explains that "a total of 18 criminal proceedings were registered for the criminal offenses provided by articles 326/a, 327/1, 328, 328/a/1, 329, 330, 331/a, 190, 248, 84 of the Criminal Code". Specifically, these articles provide for the exercise of pressure on the voter, preventing him from exercising his free will, threats, identification of voters with false documentation, buying and selling of votes, abandonment of work by the persons chosen for the administration of the voting process, etc.
Four of these criminal proceedings were registered in the Elbasan Prosecutor's Office, another 4 in Berat, followed by 2 registered in the Prosecutor's Office of Vlora, as well as in the Prosecutor's Office of Kukes, Berat, Saranda, etc.
Meanwhile, Drilona Hoxhaj says to "Sinjalizo" that "during the election day, on May 14, 2023, the Central Election Commission administered 46 denunciations related to the problems of the election process." According to her, the problems encountered on May 14 started from those related to delays in the start of the voting process in some VCs, intimidation in the voting process or pressure on voters and up to 'family voting', while adding that "from the administered evidence, it was not possible to prove the claim sent by the informants".
The prosecution informs in its response that "it was decided not to start the investigations for 3 criminal charges, of which 2 were not started by the Dibër Prosecutor's Office and 1 was not started by the Gjirokastër Prosecutor's Office", while adding that other reports are in the verification phase and that "a criminal offense has been attributed to 25 citizens".
Also, this institution tells about "Sinjalizo" that "3 criminal proceedings, 2 from the Berat Prosecutor's Office and 1 from the Vlora Prosecutor's Office, have been transferred to the Special Prosecutor's Office against Corruption and Organized Crime for investigative competence." while ""arrest in prison" has been set as a security measure for two people by the Vlora Prosecutor's Office".
Young people boycotted the May 14 elections
Gerta Meta emphasizes for "Sinjalizo" that the problems that accompanied the May 14 elections were repeated over the years. "but what has made the difference is the low participation in the elections with 38.23%".
"Especially the participation of young people for the first time, about 16 young people out of 000 participants in 46",- in other words, 66% fewer young people participated in the election process, compared to 2021.
She concludes her speech by asserting that “out of 144 candidates for mayor in the entire country, only 15 candidates were women and they did not have the right space to have a correct and equal competition".
