Accusations over SEC Member Issue Continue

Wednesday saw a tense session of Parliament’s Committee on Election and Appointment Issues regarding the election of a State Election Commission (SEC) member.

The opposition fiercely reacted to the proposal by the body’s Chairperson, Marija Georgievska, for the two candidates, Abdush Demiri and Zulfi Adili, to be sent to a plenary session.

In its view, Demiri should be elected because Adili is from a ruling party, Alliance for Albanians, even though he’s been nominated by the newly-formed party of Arjanit Hoxha, which didn’t participate in the 2020 elections, which is a precondition for candidates.

The European Alliance for Changes coalition, which consists of BESA, Alliance for Albanians, and Alternative, said the ruling structure’s goal was to reduce the ethnic Albanian opposition’s rights. If it doesn’t have a SEC member, it will lose a series of rights in the election process.

If Demiri is not elected this week, it will boycott Parliament and notify the international community, as well as the OSCE/ODIHR.