News Letter, 22 July – Citizens report on election irregularities through their video records

Za’Lart 2017, a platform for citizens’ reports, has received video and audio records demonstrating election-related irregularities and corruption on July 25th. Some of the most essential audio and video reports are now available on the YouTube channel of the platform . The following are to be followed up and addressed through administrative or criminal investigation:

Video reports on vote buying, exaggerated expenses, and abuse of public assets and money in Shkodra. Reports also mention the presence of some public administration of both the central and local level, working and expressing themselves in favor of certain political parties. A video of some local people from Malësia e Madhe reports on some Municipality Police officers having exercised pressure on voters, so that they vote for a certain party . Videos from Shkodra include also reports on complaint made by people, whose homes have been flooded for years, and who expect some compensation for it. They claim that for getting such compensation the whole family has to agree to vote for a certain political party.

Other videomessages from Shkodra show citizens stating that they have been given money in previous elections for their vote, and expect the same to happen this year. They say that a payment for the family vote is a good opportunity for them to survive and have food for one to two months in circumstances of an extreme poverty

The candidate Tom Doshi announced publicly that he was preparing 400 food packages for poor families in Shkodra and their distribution was reported also by video records .