COPENHAGEN, 16 April 2021 – Some 65 observers from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will deploy next week to Albania for the 25 April parliamentary elections. The OSCE PA observers will work closely with colleagues from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Special Co-ordinator Azay Guliyev and Head of the OSCE PA Delegation Reinhold LopatkaAzay Guliyev, Head of the Delegation of Azerbaijan and Vice-President of the OSCE PA, will serve as Special Co-ordinator and leader of the short-term OSCE observer mission, following an appointment by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde.

“We are looking forward to working closely with our long-standing partners, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and to lend our contribution in accompanying Albania’s democratic path,” said Guliyev. "These elections are an important opportunity for Albania to demonstrate its commitment to democratic development and reform”.

President Lord Peter Bowness has appointed Reinhold Lopatka, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism and Special Representative on Central Asia, to lead the OSCE PA observer delegation.

“I am very proud that we are able to deploy in large numbers despite the challenges stemming from the pandemic. I would like to thank all my fellow observers for their dedication and their readiness to respond to Albania’s invitation to observe these important elections,” said Lopatka. “Our observers will follow all relevant guidelines and take all the precautions to ensure our safety, as well as the safety of the people we meet.”

The mission is assessing the elections against democratic commitments contained in the OSCE’s 1990 Copenhagen Document. Observers will pay particular attention to the campaign environment, the legal framework, election administration, election day procedures, and media coverage. They will deliver the post-election statement of preliminary findings and conclusions at a press conference in Tirana on 26 April, which will stream live on the OSCE PA website, www.oscepa.org.