State Election Commissioner Ilirjan Celibashi has formally asked the Complaints and Sanctions Commission (KAS) to impose administrative sanctions on several parties that took part in the May 11, 2025 parliamentary elections. According to the CEC’s official version, inspections and audits of financial reports found violations related to funds received and campaign spending.
The request has been sent to KAS
The document is dated October 3, 2026 and has been forwarded to the Complaints and Sanctions Commission for review and a final decision.
According to the CEC, the meeting on this issue is being held today, while the decision on the fines is expected to be taken on the basis of the provisions of the Electoral Code.
What violations the CEC claims
According to the official request, the violations identified include delays in submitting financial reports, failure by candidates on multi-name lists to submit reports, as well as failure to declare bank transactions.
The document also mentions discrepancies and arithmetic or accounting errors, once again raising questions about the real standard of financial transparency in election campaigns.
A fine of 2 million lek is also envisaged
The material submitted by the Commissioner also mentions a fine of 2,000,000 lek in cases of failure to submit the financial report.
At this stage, not all entities for which sanctions are being sought have been made public, while the final word belongs to KAS.
Campaign financing returns to the spotlight
The issue brings the control of electoral financing back to the center of public debate, an area where parties usually declare transparency, but where reports and audits often reveal procedural violations or financial discrepancies.
It remains to be seen whether the process will produce only administrative fines, or whether it will open a broader discussion on how the money used in elections is monitored and verified.
The CEC’s request to KAS comes more than a year after the May 11, 2025 elections and once again tests oversight mechanisms on political financing.
Beyond the official wording, the core of the issue remains the same: how real is the control over campaign money, and how effective are sanctions when violations are identified late.