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CEC requests additional 265 million lek for the 2027 elections

2026-11-09 17:48:22Politikë SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

CEC requests additional 265 million lek for the 2027 elections

The Central Election Commission has requested the intervention of the Parliament to cover the 265.4 million lek that are missing from the draft budget for 2027, the year in which the country will hold local elections.

The head of the CEC, Ilirjan Celibashi, has written a letter to the chairman of the parliamentary Committee for Civic Initiatives, Cooperation and Institutional Oversight, Fatmir Xhafaj, requesting that the financial needs of the institution be taken into consideration during the budget review.

According to the document, the CEC had requested an additional 364.7 million lek above the ceiling of the Medium-Term Budget Program, but only 99.3 million lek were included in the draft budget. As a result, 265,467,232 lek remain uncovered.

The majority of the requested funds are related to the election materials warehouse project and its supervision, for which 180 million lek is needed. Meanwhile, 51.7 million lek are requested for the maintenance of IT systems and 33.7 million lek for the rental of warehouses in Vaqarr.

In his letter to the Assembly, Celibashi warns that the lack of funding could jeopardize the logistical preparations and security of the electoral process.

"The total amount of unmet needs in the regular draft budget is 265,467,232 lekë. Their non-coverage may limit storage capacities and logistical readiness for the 2027 electoral process," the document states.

Concerns are also raised about the functioning of information systems, where a lack of funds could delay their maintenance and testing, increasing the risk of technical problems during the elections.

"The lack of funding may delay maintenance and testing of systems, increasing the risk of service disruptions and security breaches," the CEC warns.

Another issue raised by Celibashi is the Electronic Financial Reporting Platform (PERF), which is not yet functional for the submission of financial reports of political parties.

For its improvement, the CEC has requested around 20 million lek from the Council of Europe Office in Tirana, but has not yet received confirmation of the funding.

"Support is needed for adaptation to the legal and functional regime of the PERF platform, standardization of reporting categories, data validation, testing and publication of reports in open format," the letter states.

In the event that donor funding is not secured, the head of the CEC requests that this amount be covered by the state budget, so that the platform can be put into operation.

Regarding preparations for the 2027 local elections, the CEC foresees training the election administration, ensuring the security of systems and equipment, informing voters, and improving the accessibility of voting centers.

"For 2027, the main priority of the CEC is the preparation and administration of local elections. In this context, the CEC will focus on training the electoral administration, ensuring the readiness and security of electoral systems and equipment, informing voters, and improving the accessibility of voting centers," the document states.

The institution also highlights that the voter information and education program is still being drafted, while information campaigns and measuring the level of voter knowledge have not yet begun.

For persons with disabilities, verification of conditions at voting centers, preparation of materials in at least three accessible formats, and training for assisted voting are foreseen. The CEC emphasizes that the financing of these measures falls to local government units.

"Without the necessary financial support, the identified obstacles may not be addressed in a timely manner," the institution warns.

The CEC will also continue to follow the recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission, as well as prepare analyses and technical proposals for electoral reform.


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