Grunnet: Election standards are more important than their result

Even though the political election situation has been harder than in the elections of 2000, 2001 and 2003, the Democratic Party has never thought of a boycot of elections. So declared the chief of Albanian diplomacy, Besnik Mustafaj in the meeting with the Chief of the OSBE-ODHIR mission for the observance of the coming local elections, Jorgen Grunnet.

Accoring to the declaration of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the meeting Besnik Mustafaj pointed out the ful engagemnt of the government for the realization of a free and honest election process. “The realization of a election process in line with the international standards we regard as more important than the election result itself,” emphasised the minister Mustafaj.

The minister of Foreign Affairs has criticized the opposition for the planned boycot regarding it as something out of the democratic culture.
“Albanian authorities, regarding as advantageous the international observance of the election process, have been open to invite an unlimited number of observers. To this end, continued the minister Mustafaj, I have aplied to the head of OSBE, OSBE-ODHIR, the Parliamentary Assemble of OSBE, Europe Council, the Local and Regional Authorities Congress of Europe Council, the Finn Presidency of Ministers Council of European Union, the Presidency of European Commission and the Delegation for Relationships with Southeastern Europe Countries in the European Parliament.”

After the confirming of Grunnet that 30 long-term observers and 400 short-term ones are expexted to come to Albania for observing the elections, the minister Mustafaj express the readiness to offer the Election Observance Mission every support.