Albanian Elections: The never-ending story – Part 1: 2011 Local Elections

This article intends to be a first part of a diachronic comparative analyses between the local elections held on May 2011 and the general elections to be held on June 2013 in Albania. The comparative analyses will be performed by using the Qualitative Process Tracing Method.
What I try to point out, with regards to process tracing of Albanian elections, is to whether or not find on the 2013 Albanian general elections, the continuity of a series of peculiar elements, already verified in the 2011 local elections.
These peculiar elements are thoroughly described in this paper. They also have a clear sequence, namely: pre-electoral, election day, post electoral.
The elements are evidenced in bold and they concern: Albania’s democratic transition process and its advancement toward European Union (EU) membership, accusations of electoral fraud, change the Electoral law, violent incidents, obstructionism in ballot counting, dispute resolution procedures, disorganization in a number of Voting Centres, diplomats somehow involved in monitoring process, modification of ex-post electoral procedures, Central Elections Commission boycotting the decision-making, appeal to Electoral College, Electoral College decisions favouring government party coalitions.
In the second article, to be written by the end of June 2013, in the aftermath of the general elections, I will try to check out and compare the persistence of these peculiar elements, by utilising
again the process tracing method, and draw-up comparative conclusions between the local elections of 2011 and the general elections of 2013.


By Endri Xhaferaj