Albanian Elections

The United States commends the conduct of local elections in Albania on October 12. They have helped affirm the Albanian people’s commitment to the democratic process. We are encouraged by a preliminary assessment of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) which noted that despite some problems, the elections were run in a generally professional, transparent, and even-handed way, representing major progress toward meeting international democratic election standards. We welcome the elections as a key step in Albania’s integration into the Euro-Atlantic mainstream. We urge Albania’s leaders and institutions to resolve any remaining election questions through domestic legal mechanisms and procedures.