OSCE observers launch mission to monitor Albania's upcoming parliamentary vote

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TIRANA, Albania (AP) — More than 300 international observers will monitor Albania’s May 11 parliamentary election, which for the first time will see Albanians living in other countries cast ballots, a Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe body said on Wednesday.

The OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, or ODIHR, will send 338 officials to monitor all aspects of the election, including developments before and after election day.

The mission, headed by Lamberto Zannier, was launched Wednesday. Its report will evaluate whether the election is free and fair or not.

The OSCE has been monitoring Albania’s elections since 1996.

Some 250,000 Albanians living in other countries can for the first time cast ballots by mail, boosting the total number of potential voters to 3.6 million. The small Balkan country’s current population is no more than 2.4 million.

Voters will choose 140 representatives for four-year terms among candidates from 26 political parties or coalitions.

Albania’s parliament is dominated by the left-wing Socialist Party of Prime Minister Edi Rama. The party is seeking its fourth term since it came to power in 2013.

The main opposition, the center-right Democratic Party of former prime minister Sali Berisha, accuses it of corruption, manipulating earlier elections and usurping the powers of the judiciary.

Berisha and former President Ilir Meta, in coalition with Berisha's Democrats, are themselves embroiled in separate corruption cases, which they call politically motivated.

In October, Albania started discussions with the European Union on how the country aligns with EU stances on the rule of law, democracy and the fight against corruption. Rama hopes that Albania can join the European Union by 2030.

Albania’s elections have often been strongly contested and frequently marred by irregularities, including alleged vote-buying and manipulation of ballot counts.