Picture: AFP 20 May 2011 FOCUS News Agency
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Brussels. The European Union's executive called on Albania's electoral commission on Friday to publish local election results "without delay" and ensure the process is free of political interference, AFP reported.
The electoral commission is still counting votes from a tight race for Tirana mayor following May 8 local elections seen as a major test of the political stability of a Balkan country hoping to join the EU.
"It is key that the central election commission plays its role in guaranteeing the respect of the legal framework and in particular the transparency of the process," said Natasha Butler, a European Commission spokeswoman.
Butler, spokeswoman for EU enlargement commissioner Stefan Fuele, urged the commission to live up to its role as a "key independent institution" in the electoral process.
"It is important that this process is done absolutely free of political interference," she said.
"There cannot be two different results for these elections. Results should be declared without delay and all steps have to be conducted in full respect of the rules and procedure."
The political tensions prompted European Commission president Jose Manuel Barrosos to cancel a trip to Tirana on Friday. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has appealed for calm.
The electoral commission is counting Tirana votes that were dropped in the wrong ballot boxes.
According to provisional results, opposition leader Edi Rama -- who is seeking his fourth mandate as Tirana mayor -- beat the government's candidate Lulezim Basha by a mere 10 votes.
Rama's Socialist Party has slammed the new count -- or re-evaluation as the commission calls it -- as illegal and called for a "popular uprising" to stop it.
Butler denied that Barroso's decision to cancel his trip shoud be seen as a disengagement from Albania.
"We are looking at this very closely right now, and monitoring this on a day to day, hour to hour basis," Butler said.
The electoral commission is still counting votes from a tight race for Tirana mayor following May 8 local elections seen as a major test of the political stability of a Balkan country hoping to join the EU.
"It is key that the central election commission plays its role in guaranteeing the respect of the legal framework and in particular the transparency of the process," said Natasha Butler, a European Commission spokeswoman.
Butler, spokeswoman for EU enlargement commissioner Stefan Fuele, urged the commission to live up to its role as a "key independent institution" in the electoral process.
"It is important that this process is done absolutely free of political interference," she said.
"There cannot be two different results for these elections. Results should be declared without delay and all steps have to be conducted in full respect of the rules and procedure."
The political tensions prompted European Commission president Jose Manuel Barrosos to cancel a trip to Tirana on Friday. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has appealed for calm.
The electoral commission is counting Tirana votes that were dropped in the wrong ballot boxes.
According to provisional results, opposition leader Edi Rama -- who is seeking his fourth mandate as Tirana mayor -- beat the government's candidate Lulezim Basha by a mere 10 votes.
Rama's Socialist Party has slammed the new count -- or re-evaluation as the commission calls it -- as illegal and called for a "popular uprising" to stop it.
Butler denied that Barroso's decision to cancel his trip shoud be seen as a disengagement from Albania.
"We are looking at this very closely right now, and monitoring this on a day to day, hour to hour basis," Butler said.
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