The Electoral Reform Commission is expected to request an extension of its deadline at its next meeting, according to a statement by Socialist MP Damian Gjiknuri. Alongside this signal of delays in a process that has long moved forward amid political clashes, Gjiknuri also said that the government, according to the Socialist Party’s position, is ready to finance full electronic voting in the next parliamentary elections.
PS acknowledges the deadline will not be met
In today’s session, Damian Gjiknuri said the Electoral Reform Commission will seek an extension of the deadline at its next session. The statement confirms that the process is not being completed within the planned timeframe, while the political sides continue to fail to find common ground on the main issues.
According to Gjiknuri, “good work” has been done in the commission, but he acknowledged that there have been problems because of political conflicts. This means that another phase of the reform is also heading into an extension, on an issue that directly affects election standards and trust in their administration.
Electronic voting returns as a government pledge
Gjiknuri said electronic counting has unfairly become the subject of debate, even though, according to him, the sides themselves have asked for more technology in elections. In the same vein, he declared that the government has long expressed the financial readiness for the next parliamentary elections to be held entirely with electronic voting.
For the moment, this remains a political statement and not a detailed plan made public on costs, infrastructure, technical guarantees or oversight mechanisms. These are precisely the points that usually require additional transparency when it comes to the introduction of technology into the electoral process.
Clash with the opposition remains central
The Socialist MP said that without an electoral reform that addresses OSCE recommendations, political conflicts will not be resolved. He called on the opposition to provide its recommendations, claiming that the majority has not imposed rules and has left the sides free to choose.
However, the fact that the commission is moving toward a request for a deadline extension shows that political clashes continue to block the pace of the process. Under these conditions, it remains to be seen whether the sides will produce concrete changes or whether the reform will once again remain at the level of declarations.
The debate on Electoral Reform is thus entering another phase of delay, while the majority is also simultaneously making a pledge for full electronic voting. So far, the public has only the political statements of the sides, not a clear agreement nor a credible timetable for completing the reform.