OSCE urges Albanian parties to recognise May elections’ results

The OSCE called on political parties to recognise the results of the upcoming May 8th local elections as an important aspect of democracy. Head of the mission in Albania Eugen Wollfarth told an experts’ roundtable on Tuesday (April 5th) that the credibility of the process depends on the attitude of participants and mutual trust. All parties must trust the election lists, election commissions and the counting of the votes, Wollfarth said. The two main political parties — the ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition Socialist Party — have been locked in a bitter dispute since the June 2009 general elections, over the transparency of that vote.