Legislative elections in Albania

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Regular elections in Albania are mandated by the Constitution and legislation enacted by Parliament. The Parliament (Kuvendi) has 140 members elected for four-year terms. [1] The electoral system is closed list proportional representation. There are 12 multi-member constituencies corresponding to the country's 12 administrative regions. Within any constituency, parties must meet a threshold of 3 percent of votes, and pre-election coalitions must meet a threshold of 5 percent of votes. [2] [3]

Contents

This electoral system replaced a mixed-member system in November 2008. [4] Under the old system, 100 members were elected directly in single member constituencies with approximately equal numbers of voters. 40 were elected from multi-name lists of parties or party coalitions according to their ranking. The total number of deputies of a party or a party coalition was to be, to the closest possible extent, proportional to the valid votes won by that party or coalition on the national scale in the first round of elections. Parties that received less than 2.5% and coalitions that received less than 4% of the valid votes on the national scale in the first round of elections did not benefit from the respective multi-name list.

The change was criticised by the smaller parties, but supported by the two main parties. It was considered an important step towards Albania's European integration. Other changes included limiting the prosecutor general's term to five years, forcing an early election in case of a no-confidence vote and reducing the majority required to elect the president from three-fifths to half the MPs. [5]

The president is elected by parliament.

Albania has a multi-party system, with two or three strong parties and several other parties that are electorally successful.

Latest election

Diagrama e Kuvendit te Shqiperise (2017).svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Socialist Party of Albania 761,95148.3474+9
Democratic Party of Albania 454,34928.8243–7
Socialist Movement for Integration 224,96714.2719+3
Party for Justice, Integration and Unity 75,5914.803–1
Libra Party 19,6661.250New
Social Democratic Party of Albania 14,9860.951+1
New Democratic Spirit 5,1120.3200
Republican Party of Albania 3,8210.240–3
Sfida për Shqipërinë 3,5230.220New
Social Democracy Party of Albania 2,5260.1600
Christian Democratic Party of Albania 2,5160.160–1
Party for the Future of the Greek Minority2,2830.1400
People's Alliance for Justice1,4900.090New
Communist Party of Albania 1,0260.0700
Albanian Democratic Christian Union9100.060New
Christian Democratic Alliance7650.0500
Democratic Alliance Party 5380.0300
National Arbnore Alliance3530.020New
Invalid/blank votes32,188
Total 1,608,561 1001400
Registered voters/turnout3,452,32446.80
Source: CEC (99.65% of polling stations reporting)

Past elections

e    d  Summary of the 28 June 2009 Assembly of Albania election results
CoalitionsVotes%Seats
Total "Alliance for Changes" (Center - Right)71274546.9270
Total "Unification for Changes" (Center - Left)68874845.3466
Total "Socialist Alliance" (Progressive Left)844075.564
Total "Pole of Freedom" (Conservatism)276551.820
Law and Justice Party of Albania (Partia Ligj dhe Drejtësi)PLiDr48650.320
Independent (Abdullah Adil Omurri)PAVARUR7560.050
Total (turnout: %)1519176100.00140
Source: CEC
e    d  Summary of the 3 July 2005 Assembly of Albania election results
PartiesVotes PR%Seats
ConstituenciesPRTotal
Democratic Party of Albania (Partia Demokratike e Shqipërisë)104,7967.6756056
Socialist Party of Albania (Partia Socialiste e Shqipërisë)121,4128.8942042
ALDM-National Front (Partia Balli Kombëtar Shqiptar)457,14333,4601818
ALDM-Republican Party of Albania (Partia Republikane e Shqipërisë)-1111
ALDM-New Democratic Party (Partia Demokrate e Re)-44
ALDM-Christian Democratic Party of Albania (Partia Demokristiane e Shqipërisë)-22
ALDM-Liberal Democratic Union (Bashkimi Liberal Demokrat)-11
ALDM-Democratic National Front Party (Partia Ballik Kombëtar Demokrat)---
ALDM-Albanian Democratic Union Party (Partia e Bashkimit Demokrat Shqiptar)---
ALDM-Human Rights Liberation Movement (Lëvizja për të Drejtat dhe Liritë e Njeriut)---
Social Democratic Party of Albania (Partia Socialdemokrate e Shqipërisë)174,10312.74077
Socialist Movement for Integration (Lëvizja Socialiste për Intigrim)114,7988.40145
Environmentalist Agrarian Party (Partia Agrare Ambientaliste)89,6356.56-44
Democratic Alliance Party (Partia Aleanca Demokratike)65,0934.76-33
Social Democracy Party of Albania (Partia Demokracia Sociale e Shqipërisë)57,9984.25-22
Unity for Human Rights Party (Partia Bashkimi për të Drejtat e Njeriut)56,4034.13-22
Non-partisans  11
Total1,366,226100.010040140
Source: OSCE [ dead link ] The candidates of the Alliance for Freedom, Justice and Welfare (Aliansa për Liri, Drejtësi dhe Mirëqenie;;, Republican Party of Albania and allies) supported the candidates of the PDS in the constituencies, as did some of the informal PS allie with the PS candidates. Given the number of irregularities in the first ballot, re-elections were held in two constituencies in Shkodra and Lushnja on 21 August. These results have been included.

See also

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References

  1. "1998 CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA" (PDF). osce.org. p. 12. Archived from the original on 2017-11-02. Retrieved 2021-01-02. The Assembly consists of 140 deputies. One hundred deputies are elected directly in single member electoral zones with an approximately equal number of voters. Forty deputies are elected from multi-name lists of parties or party coalitions according to their ranking
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2021-01-02. Retrieved 2009-05-26.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "PART XII ALLOCATION OF SEATS". THE ELECTORAL CODE OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA (English translation by OSCE) (pdf). p. 140. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-07-06. Retrieved 2009-05-26.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. Ex-communist Albania changes voting system in constitutional shake up - International Herald Tribune