The two non-governmental organizations engaged in anti-corruption issues, AIS and ACER, express concern about the current situation affecting the functioning and integrity of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), the highest state authority in the field of public procurement.
The right of businesses to have access to an effective appeal mechanism during public procurement competitions has been compromised due to vacancies, lack of quorum for declarative decision-making, and failure to respect deadlines.
Facts presented:
The Public Procurement Commission is the highest administrative body that reviews and decides on complaints related to procurement procedures. This Commission consists of five members, one of whom is elected as Chairperson.
Since June 30th, by decision of the Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime, one of the members of the PPC, specifically the Chairperson, has been indicted and suspended from duty for the criminal offense of “Unequal Treatment in Public Tenders.”
According to the Public Procurement Law, decisions are made with a quorum of 3 members for procurement procedures below the high-value threshold and with 5 members for procurement procedures above the high-value threshold (international tenders).
Due to the lack of quorum with 5 members, the institution is unable to function efficiently and with integrity in reviewing complaints regarding important tenders.
According to data published on Open Procurement Albania, currently there are over 30 complaints administered by the PPC just in 5 sectors monitored by this program: local government tenders, tenders of the Albanian Road Authority, tenders of the Albanian Development Fund, and tenders of the Centralized Procurement Operator.
This number is expected to increase in the coming weeks, including tenders with significant contract values in the total annual public procurement volume.
The institution’s inability to operate with full quorum and the suspension of the Chairperson have created a situation that threatens the principles of fair competition and transparency in public procurement.
The right to an effective legal remedy and access to an independent review body are mandatory standards for countries aspiring to integrate into the European Union.
AIS and ACER call on the Council of Ministers and the new Parliament, which will start its activity in September, to prioritize intervention to restore the institution’s full functionality and integrity standards.
This is essential to guarantee the proper functioning of the appeal mechanism and to protect the legal rights of businesses and contracting authorities in the public procurement sector.
https://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2025-07-29-125228.png612593adminhttp://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/aislogo1.pngadmin2025-07-29 10:53:302025-07-29 11:55:39AIS and ACER express concern over the situation at the highest institution of the public procurement sector
This was the main message highlighted in Inside Story on Top Channel, aired during the final week of the May 2025 electoral campaign. The report, titled “Electoral Labyrinths”, focused on the lack of transparency in electoral financing, the misuse of personal data, and problematic aspects of social media use during elections.
In an interview for the program, Aranita Brahaj, Director of the organization AIS, pointed out significant flaws, deficiencies, and negative patterns in the current model of reporting and oversight of campaign expenditures and political finances.
“We need electoral reform that begins with the drafting of a new legal framework for the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns. The current legal provisions are insufficient,” – stated Brahaj.
She also criticized the current division of financial reporting between the pre-election period and the official election period, calling it unjustified and ineffective.
Furthermore, Brahaj raised concerns about the misuse of public payroll funds, noting that approximately half of the public administration is temporarily contracted during the election campaign, without having civil servant status or officially approved positions in public sector organizational charts.
She emphasized that public money is being used during the campaign in ways that distort and compromise the electorate. According to her, there are two major issues with the flow of money in election campaigns:
Funds from unidentified donors, which are not properly declared or transparent, and are not subjected to adequate verification regarding their use in actual campaign activities;
Significant sums spent not on legitimate campaign activities, but on electoral crimes such as vote buying or buying a place on the candidate list.
https://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2025-07-19-121032.png551532adminhttp://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/aislogo1.pngadmin2025-07-19 11:11:022025-07-19 11:11:16Electoral Reform Must Begin with Clear Rules on Campaign and Political Party Financing
Voice of America broadcasted several views from civil society experts calling for legal reforms to prevent the misuse of public funds for electoral purposes. The head of the Electoral Commission stated that the Electoral Law must be amended, as it does not address any of the situations raised.
In Tirana, the Albanian Institute of Science published the findings of a comparative study on the state budget and public finances during election years, highlighting increases in funds, employment, and bonuses just months before elections. Experts called for enhanced restrictive measures on the use of the budget for electoral influence benefiting the ruling majority, through tools such as normative acts, annual bonuses, and reconstruction funds.
The comparative study between election and non-election years by the research center Open Data Albania notes that the state budget appears to aim at influencing voters and securing electoral benefits for the ruling majority.
Explore the data and visual insights on how Albania’s state budget may have been used for electoral purposes.
The head of the Albanian Institute of Science, Aranita Brahaj, stated that this becomes evident when comparing electoral and non-electoral periods regarding the multi-year reconstruction program following the 2019 earthquake, individual payments for reconstruction grants, increased employment in the administration, and bonuses for pensioners.
“We are talking about 3.7 billion lek, which for the first time will be distributed in the spring. Bonuses for pensioners have been given at various times, usually at the end of the year. This year, we have two bonuses: one at the end of this year and another in the spring of 2025, which is also an electoral spring,” said Ms. Brahaj.
In addition to some changes in the Electoral Code, researchers called for legal prohibitions on the approval of acts that run parallel with public procurements.
Legal expert at the Institute of Science and author of the study, Viktor Gumi, stated that the normative act for reconstruction remains in force and has been implemented for many years.
“Despite more than five years having passed since the natural disaster of the earthquake, this act remains in force and is a mechanism that is supplied, I assess, from the perspective of a political strategy, for political effect, for electoral effect. The most logical question at this point is: Why should we have special ad hoc rules over such a long period when the public procurement law has very well-defined procedures for this direction and is also evaluated by international institutions as a very good law in accordance with European Union directives,” said Mr. Gumi at the gathering.
Researchers emphasized that the Parliament needs to refrain from changing the state budget with Normative Acts, which are applied even during the year or the electoral period, while the law on the budgetary system should include preventive mechanisms against possible abuse in election years or shortly before the date of general and local elections.
Public economy and auditing expert, Lindita Lati, highlighted the consequences that high non-profit expenditures, budget politicization, tax evasion and revenue reduction, low transparency and accountability, as well as the increase of the budget deficit bring to the economy during election years.
“The game played with the budget deficit is not at all pleasant from our point of view as auditors. The year 2017 showed us that the government, precisely to declare that it had the budget deficit under 2 percent of GDP, which is a legal obligation, we saw that manipulations were made in the methodology of assessing the budget deficit. Not to mention the hidden budget deficit, which comes from arrears,” said Ms. Lati.
The Electoral Code states that four months before the election date until the formation of the new government after the elections, the proposal, approval, or issuance of legal or sub-legal acts to provide benefits for certain categories of the population such as salary increases, pensions, economic and social support, tax reductions or exemptions, fiscal amnesty, privatizations or asset allocations or bonuses, is prohibited, except in cases of natural disasters.
Experts stated that this article needs to be detailed to add restrictions, while the State Election Commissioner,Ilirjan Celibashi, said that improving this article and many others requires the political will of parties in Parliament.
“For all the provisions of the Electoral Code and for all the issues under discussion, I think we need to modernize and truly make the entire regulatory framework of election development in Albania. We have in force a code from 2008, which has been continuously patched. We need a new electoral code, and this work should start immediately after the next elections with the will of political parties,” said Mr. Celibashi.
The study notes that the Constitution does not set rules on the state budget in election years, while the relevant law specifies that the budget deficit should be executed almost uniformly in the four quarters of the year with general elections, while researchers assessed that existing legal measures are insufficient to avoid the electoral use of the state budget.
https://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2025-07-19-120809.png620587adminhttp://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/aislogo1.pngadmin2025-07-19 11:07:282025-07-19 11:08:28Voice of America broadcasted several views from civil society experts calling for legal reforms to prevent the misuse of public funds for electoral purposes. The head of the Electoral Commission stated that the Electoral Law must be amended, as it does not address any of the situations raised.
https://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/image-6-2.png11241006adminhttp://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/aislogo1.pngadmin2025-07-19 11:03:242025-07-19 11:03:24Balkanweb published an investigation: The Reconstruction Scandal: 2.5 million Euros for Building Renovation – How the Tender Was Won and Why SPAK Should Investigate
The Prime Minister has proposed an Anti-Corruption Reform introducing the use of Artificial Intelligence in Public Procurement.
The Parliamentary opposition, through Jorida Tabaku, MP and Chairwoman of the Incinerator Investigative Committee, suggested that the Government should, instead, use the platform Open Procurement Albania, a technological tool created by the organization AIS, aiming to identify corruption cases in tendering. MP Tabaku’s statements were made to Balkan Insight in an article analyzing the application of AI in procurement.
https://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2025-07-19-115955.png901958adminhttp://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/aislogo1.pngadmin2025-07-19 10:57:062025-07-19 11:00:58Balkan Insight writes: Using AI in Albanian Public Procurements ‘No Easy Solution’ for Corruption
https://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2025-07-19-115507.png736789adminhttp://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/aislogo1.pngadmin2025-07-19 10:50:522025-07-19 10:55:26Voice of America published: Open Data Albania Finds Inaccuracies in Prime Minister Rama's Figures on Public Procurements and Tenders
Tirana, Albania – AIS Albania, in collaboration with KDI Kosovo, organized a Masterclass focused on electoral financing, bringing together civil society representatives from across Albania for a regional exchange of experience and discussion.
Kosovo stands out in the region for having adopted a dedicated Law on the Financing of Electoral Campaigns and Political Parties. As a result of persistent civil society advocacy, this legal framework has enabled the creation of independent institutions with clear mandates to monitor, investigate, and sanction abuses in electoral financing.
By contrast, the legal and institutional framework in Albania remains limited. The country does not have a specific law on electoral finance, and the Central Election Commission has very limited powers when it comes to administrative investigations. Moreover, there are no specific sanctions for violations related to campaign financing. The administrative penalties foreseen in Albania’s Electoral Code are symbolic and largely ineffective.
During the event, Eugen Cakolli, an expert from KDI/Transparency International Kosovo, shared Kosovo’s legal and institutional practices with his Albanian counterparts, shedding light on challenges, successes, and key principles behind their reform process.
You may refer to the attached presentation for further information.
A central theme of the discussion was the urgent need for Albania to adopt a dedicated legal framework on political finance and to establish independent oversight institutions capable of ensuring transparency, accountability, and enforcement in the electoral financing process.
The expert’s biography is attached for your reference.
Below you can find the photos of the event:
The Master Class took place on December 13, 2024, in Tirana, and brought together representatives from civil society organizations, transparency advocates, and policy researchers from across Albania. The event served as a platform for constructive dialogue and cross-border learning on electoral finance reform.
The event was attended by representatives from the following national and international organizations:
Jorgen Kosta – Komiteti Shqiptar i Helsinkit (KSHSH)
Zef Preçi – Qendra Shqiptare për Kërkime Ekonomike (ACER)
Gerta Meta – Shoqata për Kulturë Demokratike (SHKD)
Doralda Tanellari – Instituti i Studimeve Politike (ISP)
Endri Deda – Qendra Shqiptare për Kërkime Ekonomike (ACER)
Arjan Dyrmishi – Qendra për Studimin e Demokracisë dhe Qeverisjes (CSDG)
Edlira Çepani – Rrjeti “Barazi ne Vendimmarrje”
Vildan Plepi – National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Endrid Islami – United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Ejona Kalldremxhiu – International Republican Institute (IRI)
Ana Kovacevic Kadovic – National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Orjada Tare – Westminster Foundation for Democracy-Albania (WFD)
Suzana Frashëri – The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)
https://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/combined-1.jpg994889adminhttp://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/aislogo1.pngadmin2025-07-12 15:23:132025-07-12 15:23:13Regional Experience Exchange and Discussion on Electoral Financing AIS Albania and KDI Kosovo Host MasterClass in Tirana
On March 17, AIS organized a discussion meeting titled ‘Briefing Report on Workshops Series of Civil Society Organizations (CSO), Media Representatives, and Parliamentary Staff‘, aimed at sharing the key findings and outcomes of the workshops held in the framework of the project.
This event was held within the framework of the project “Increasing Parliament’s Responsiveness to Citizens’ Concerns”, supported by the British Embassy in Tirana and implemented by a consortium led by IDM in partnership with Citizens Channel and AIS.
Welcoming Speechand Presentation of Briefing Report
Mrs. Aranita Brahaj – AIS’ Executive Director
Mr. Pajtim Nikolli – Data analyst on Public Finance
Oversight of Public Finances by the Parliament: Drafting and Planning Aspects
Civic Participation on State Budget Preparation. Transparency Tools and Databases Access, Information and Knowledge. Transparency on Government Spent and State Budget.
Civil Society and the role of the Parliament in the Drafting, Consultation and Approval Process of the State Budget
Building the capacities of CSOs, activists and local media to contribute to the planning of the state budget and public spending policies
Expectations and Reference Needs
Mr. Viktor Gumi – Expert on Public Finances and State Budget Drafting and Approved by the Parliament
Mrs. Blerian Lesi – Lecture: Public Budgeting and Regional Impact. District Distribution of Programs and Investments
Oversight of Public Finances, Cooperation, and Interinstitutional Dialogue between Parliament and the Supreme State Audit.
Mrs. Lindita Lati Milo – Expert on Accounting and Economics
https://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2025-07-12-163121.png508479adminhttp://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/aislogo1.pngadmin2025-07-12 15:21:562025-07-12 15:31:47Briefing Report on Workshops Series of Civil Society Organizations (CSO), Media Representatives and Parliamentary Staff
Between 2023 and 2025, the Special Prosecution Office Against Organized Crime and Corruption (SPAK) has taken significant action against several structured criminal groups suspected of involvement in electoral crimes during the 2021 elections, particularly in the districts of Shkodër, Durrës, Elbasan, and Lezha.
Investigative media reports have revealed that some of these criminal groups, primarily involved in drug trafficking, were actively engaged in vote buying during the 2021 elections campaign. In exchange for delivering votes, they received economic benefits, favors, or the ability to place loyal individuals in key positions of influence.
Ahead of the 2025 elections, many of the leaders of these groups have been arrested, declared fugitives, prosecuted, or have fled the country (as of 2024). However, their economic and social influence at the local level remains significant, and media sources indicate that these networks are once again mobilizing to secure votes either through vote buying or by exerting physical pressure and intimidation on voters[i].
In Elbasan reports indicate that group members have been settling outstanding debts at grocery stores frequented by unemployed families who receive food on credit. They are also reportedly sponsoring electoral events and engaging in acts of coercion or violence against voters.
In Durrës, there is concern that rival criminal groups may not only participate in the elections at the request of political actors (parties or candidates) but may also take action to undermine each other’s influence by “investing” in politically powerful entities as a means of gaining territorial or economic control.
Shkodër and Fier districts are similarly classified as a high-risk electoral zone, due to the active political ambitions of the party led by Mr. Tom Doshi.
Criminal Influence Map for the May 11 Elections:
High Risk of Criminal Influence in the districts of Durrës, Elbasan, Fier, and Shkodër.
Moderate Risk with Signs of Criminal Involvement in Lezhë and Tirana.
Potential for Tensions and Clashes in Tirana, Lezha, Dibra, Fier, Elbasan, Kukes and Shkodër.
The ultimate goal of the Criminal Groups is:
To gain economic advantages in public tenders, privatizations, fiscal incentives and administration, the authorization of gambling points, etc.
To avoid the targeting and prosecution of “schemes” and “networks” used for laundering the proceeds of criminal offenses through public tenders, auctions, and privatizations.
To obstruct SPAK (Special Anti-Corruption Structure) and Law Enforcement Agencies, and to prevent the seizure, freezing, and confiscation of assets linked to organized crime or acquired through the proceeds of criminal conduct.
Some of these criminal groups, operating in regions such as Durrës[ii], Elbasan[iii], Shkoder[iv], Fier[v], and Malësia e Madhe, are believed to have exerted significant influence over the appointment of trusted affiliates to senior positions within state institutions. This influence extends to the governance and management of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), raising concerns about the infiltration of organized crime networks into public administration and the misuse of public resources for criminal or political purposes[vi].
This document presents a series of concerns related to the integrity of the electoral process and the right to vote in the context of May 11th, 2025, Parliamentary Elections, as identified by AIS.
During the 2017 elections, AIS implemented the ICT for Fair Elections project, which tracked and mapped electoral violations based on citizen reports. Unfortunately, this initiative is not active for the 2025 elections due to a lack of funding (Raise Voice Albania – Make Elections Count Za’Lart 2017 ).
This report also draws on journalistic investigations and media content, particularly from journalists specializing in anti-corruption issues. AIS maintains strong partnerships with investigative journalists, supporting and empowering them through access to well-structured and Open DataBases.
The “level of activity” remains high, making Durrës a high-risk area for criminal influence in the elections.
[iii]Elbasan. This is the district with significant criminal activity from several organized crime groups. The most prominent among them is the criminal group led by Suel Çela. This group has been targeted by SPAK (in cooperation with EUROJUST and partner authorities in EU countries). Eighteen individuals have been detained for serious criminal offenses. However, the leader of the gang remains at large and is still wanted by the authorities. [The electoral campaign in Elbasan is being held with fear and under the shadow of Suel Çela’s group] This criminal group continues its operations on the ground, aiming to maintain “certain connections” with individuals in power and preserve its economic influence. Local journalists report that members of this group are settling debts incurred at grocery stores where unemployed families regularly receive food on credit. The group also sponsors electoral events and exerts pressure or physical violence on voters. Despite ongoing criminal proceedings and arrests made under SPAK’s orders, Suel Çela’s group in Elbasan continues to be a financially powerful and active player in the 2025 election campaign (media source).
[iv]Shkoder. The Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) has undertaken law enforcement operations against two high-risk organized crime groups: the Bajraj criminal group and the organization led by Pellumb Gjoka, referenced in the “Metamorphosis” case file (2023-2024). Shkoder remains a district with heightened security concerns, particularly in the final days and hours preceding the upcoming elections, where potential for confrontation is significantly elevated. The region is characterized by substantial economic interests. (North part of Adriatik Coas)
[v]Fier. The journalistic sources have provided indications of actions by businesses under investigation by SPAK, which have strong ties to local officials. One group is led by an individual known as a businessman, who is a regular winner of public tenders. The individual in question has won public tenders in three municipalities within the Fier district. [The “strongman” of Fier, Renato Çami, is under investigation by SPAK; Mayor Armando Subashi awards him a €1.1 million tender] In this district (Fier), activity and influence are also expected from other individuals with criminal records who have been declared wanted. In this district, more than one criminal group is active, and the competition for parliamentary mandates may be intense.
[v] [News24, through its investigative program Shenjester, aired on April 29: “The director is on fire — now’s the time to secure some funding”- How Suel Çela instructed Bruno Hazizolli to meet with Luan Tabaku in order to influence his appointment as Deputy Director at… – BalkanWeb.com – News24]
Note. Luan Tabaku is the Director of a State-Owned Enterprise (SOE); Suel Çela is the leader of a structured criminal group currently under investigation and prosecution by SPAK (Special Anti-Corruption Structure); Bruno Hazizolli is a member of this criminal organization.
An investigative report has identified four businesses owned by members of the criminal group and their relatives, which have secured public contracts with state-owned enterprises and municipalities, including those in Elbasan, Peqin, Cërrik, Prrenjas, and Kuçovë.
[vi] [News24, through its investigative program Shenjester, aired on April 29: “The director is on fire — now’s the time to secure some funding”- How Suel Çela instructed Bruno Hazizolli to meet with Luan Tabaku in order to influence his appointment as Deputy Director at… – BalkanWeb.com – News24]. Note. Luan Tabaku is the Director of a State-Owned Enterprise (SOE); Suel Çela is the leader of a structured criminal group currently under investigation and prosecution by SPAK (Special Anti-Corruption Structure); Bruno Hazizolli is a member of this criminal organization. An investigative report has identified four businesses owned by members of the criminal group and their relatives, which have secured public contracts with state-owned enterprises and municipalities, including those in Elbasan, Peqin, Cërrik, Prrenjas, and Kuçovë.
https://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/PHOTO-2025-04-26-14-47-25.jpg800800adminhttp://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/aislogo1.pngadmin2025-07-12 15:19:592025-07-12 15:19:59THE INFLUENCE OF ORGANIZED CRIME ON ELECTORAL PROCESSES AND FACT-BASED YOURNALISM
Over the past three years, a consistent pattern of flagged tenders has emerged, with businesses associated with or owned by politically exposed persons (PEPs) or individuals with conflicts of interest securing awarding contracts 🚩
These arguments have been officially documented in the 2023 Annual Report of the Special Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Prosecution Office (SPAK), which highlighted the misuse of procurement procedures at both the central and local government levels[i]. Criminal proceedings have been initiated within municipalities and state agencies concerning this issue. 🚩
However, the concentration of tenders awarded to businesses owned by politically exposed individuals remains alarmingly high. These tenders are often used as a source of funding for election campaigns or electoral misconduct.
The media has documented such cases in Tirana[ii], Berat, Kolonja and Fier[iii], as recently as April 2025. 🚩🚩🚩🚩
AIS (local NGO), through the Open Procurement Albania[iv] program, has found that 45% of tenders in period January till April 2025 were flagged as red-flag tenders (no competition), compared to total tenders. 🚩🚩🚩🚩
Furthermore, according to the annual report from the Public Procurement Agency, in 2024 a year leading up to the election period, the total value of tenders announced reached 14% of GDP. This is the first time (year) this fund has reached such a high level (with 7-9% being the average) indicates a significant injection of public funds just before the election campaigns.
A similar trend was also observed in 2020, prior to the 2021 elections.
This document presents a series of concerns related to the integrity of the electoral process and the right to vote in the context of May 11th, 2025, Parliamentary Elections, as identified by AIS.
During the 2017 elections, AIS implemented the ICT for Fair Elections project, which tracked and mapped electoral violations based on citizen reports. Unfortunately, this initiative is not active for the 2025 elections due to a lack of funding (Raise Voice Albania – Make Elections Count Za’Lart 2017).
This report also draws on journalistic investigations and media content, particularly from journalists specializing in anti-corruption issues. AIS maintains strong partnerships with investigative journalists, supporting and empowering them through access to well-structured and Open DataBases.
