AIS concerned: Central Election Commission has limited access to Documents and Information on previous Election Periods.

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For many weeks now (February 2023), the CEC official website lost touch with its database before 2020. This database contains Documents, Acts, Reports, Minutes and Decisions that represent the backbone of CEC activity and electoral campaigns developments. Similarly, while Albania gears up for the local elections, the previous 2019 campaign is darkened by a total lack of acts and information on the CEC website.

Although public access to these documents is a legal obligation, those are no longer accessible online for use by interested stakeholders. Specifically, missing from the pre-2020 campaigns are all:

  • Audit Reports and Financial Reports of electoral subjects and political parties;
  • Voter Turnover in each electoral zone;
  • De-criminalization Forms filled out by individuals running in the 2019 campaign;
  • Decisions of the Central Election Commission;
  • Complaints/Appeals and Minutes of institutional sessions;
  • Acts and Documents.

While CEC proclaimed initiatives to apply information technology, digitalization, and online reporting during 2023, it seems that website hosting and interoperability with the earlier database is a challenge that puts a big question mark on CEC’s capacities and will.

AIS is an organization that promotes access, transparency, and information. AIS holds that Data is Power and data must be made available to all stakeholders.

AIS filed a complaint on this denied access in the section Report of CEC website, and finds really concerning this shrank access to information on previous electoral campaigns and developments.

Truncated access, missing transparency, and irresponsibility in managing official documents represent a very risky aspect of how access to information may be used unilaterally.

We work on Civic Education – Youth Empowerment in Anticorruption

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Empowering young people against corruption – this is the goal for which we created a group of young people, part of the OpenDataYouthNetwork, a year ago. In October, this team was trained on several important topics in anti-corruption analysis. Civic education and strengthening FactChecking Models on accountability are two important aspects of the organization’s activities and projects.  
  The work with young people and the expansion of the Network will continue with other events such as trainings, forums, individual sessions, publications by young people themselves on the web – FollowTheMoney blog. This network is the product of our work in implementing the Open Data Access and Transparency over sectors exposed to Risk of Corruption Project, supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

StartUp Datathon Albania, Data Marathon by AIS, promoter of Open Data

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AIS returns to its tradition of Datathon and Hackathon Albania. This November we started working with a group of young people for the DataThon that will be held in January 2023. DataThon comes from the words Data and Marathon. They are events where people meet to work together on an idea and to collect, analyze, visualize and communicate findings related to data.

AIS has previously held DataThon and HackaThon in Tirana. This time DataThon is an event that will engage young members from the OpenDataFellowship Network. This Youth Network was created to increase the capacities and skills of young people in anti-corruption issues. The issue to be addressed this time is the finance of political parties, their volume, structure, and visualized forms of research. For more information on DataThon Albania 2023, a publication will be prepared on AIS website.

Treasury transactions, 10 years of open data for each expenditure, 1900 budgetary institutions

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How does the Government Spend the Taxpayers’ Money? Our well-structured Treasury Transactions database enables the monitoring of all payments that state institutions make to third parties. Currently, we have data on each payment made in 10 years. The data is obtained through the access to information from the Treasury Department. They are placed in a system where anyone can easily find, use and reuse them in real time.

The system also offers a search engine through filters, where transactions are divided by institution, beneficiaries, value, expenditure category, payment date or invoice number. This database discloses to the public information about how taxpayers’ money is spent; where the funds are allocated; who benefits and how much is paid for certain projects and programs.

Open Data and Gender Reports, Social-economic Data on Gender Balance

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The Open Data Albania portal continuously publishes data related to Gender Balance Statistics in the country. Articles are listed under the Gender Relations topic. The latest data published are related to the gender balance in sectors and fields such as Demography, Education, Public Representation and Penal Policy by gender groups.

The data assist in identifying ratios and development of gender groups, revealing also economic and social imbalances. The gender pay gap in different employment sectors, as well as the data on Penal Policy and Sentences imposed by courts on women compared to the total number of sentences imposed for crimes in the country – are two indicators carefully presented during November.

OpenData Youth Fellowship Retreat October 22nd and 23rd, 2022

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The organization AIS / Open Data Albania has been working with a group of students and young professionals for a year, creating a Fellowship program for empowering young people in Anti-corruption matters. This includes events held during the year such as work sessions; discussion forums; internships with the organization’s team; training and other networking events. On the weekend of October 22nd and 23rd, members of the youth team traveled to several districts of the country on a Retreat. The event contains   – Happy Hours and Networking – Presentation of the Organization’s Work Strategy Youth Objectives – StartUp DataThon Albania  

  • The itinerary was organized with the cooperation of Fation Plaku Photography, author of Homeland Albania.

  The young participants areas of significance for nature; culture, tradition and urban development of the country, such as: – Nivica, the view over the Canyon – Peshtura waterfall – Labova, the beautiful area of Lunxhëria with religious and cultural monuments dating back to the 5th century. – accommodation at Bujtina Maria, a model of agritourism and tourism business initiative, where we presented AIS new Work Strategy, with a focus on civic education and young people. – Archaeological Park #Antigone. – Peshtan, visit to the Italian-Greek war museum, During the event, the Work Program was also finalized for the next event of the Network, which is DataThon Albania Financing of Political Parties, an event that will be held in December 2022.

Video Realizuar me Dron nga Fation Plaku Tetor 2022 Kanion Nivice
Video Realizuar me Dron nga Fation Plaku Tetor 2022 Parku Arkeologjik Antigone
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Working with young people and empowering them against corruption is part of the implementation of the Open Data, Access and Transparency over sectors exposed to Risk of Corruption Project. The project is supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida. One of the components of the project is Youth Empowerment against Corruption – Citizen Education, Improve Fact-Checking Models.

Training Cycle: Youth Empowerment against Corruption – Citizen Education, Improve Fact Checking Models

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The Organization AIS / Open Data Albania is holding this week (October 2022) a training cycle with young people, part of the OpenDataYouth Network. The young participants in this program are selected through competition targeting young journalist professionals or students; economists; tax accountants; future politicians; analysts; sociologists; researchers; etc.

The purpose of the Training is to raise the capacities and empower the youth, as the category most predisposed to bring change in society. The targeted capacity includes awareness, articulation, education and evaluation on issues of good governance and anti-corruption. Provide them with knowledge about the stakeholders engaged in anti-corruption phenomena and tracking methods. The final goal is for a researcher, activist, journalist in the first steps of the profession, or during university studies to be able to articulate publicly on issues related to governance and corruption

There are eight specific topics addressed during October with a focus on anti-corruption and good governance issues, namely Corruption and EU Integration; Media and Anti-Corruption; Institutions and Stakeholders engaged in Anti-Corruption; Gender Perspective and Anti-Corruption; Corruption by Law; Money Laundering Challenges; Fiscal Policy and Civil Society and Activism for Anticorruption.

Working with young people and empowering them against corruption is part of the implementation of the Open Data, Access and Transparency over sectors exposed to Risk of Corruption Project. The project is supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida. One of the components of the project is Youth Empowerment against Corruption – Citizen Education, Improve Fact-Checking Models.

This component shall consist of several events. Its objective is to educate and develop the skills of a group of young people in critical thinking and articulation on issues related to corruption. The component envisages activities such as training, individual work sessions, internships at the organization, forum, preparation of articles and networking.

 See the Training Program: HERE

 See the Curricula HERE

Photo from the Training:  

Announcements and other Network Events:

Call Apply to become part of the open data fellowship youth network http://ais.al/new/en/apply-to-become-part-of-the-open-data-fellowship-youth-network/

OpenData Fellowship Youth Network working with young people to increase their capacities

http://ais.al/new/en/open-data-fellowship-youth-network-working-with-young-people-to-increase-their-capacities/

Forum “Youth and Emigration as an inducement to live for a better country

http://ais.al/new/en/forum-youth-and-emigration-corruption-as-inducement-to-live-for-a-better-country/

http://ais.al/new/en/forum-youth-and-emigration-corruption-as-inducement-to-live-for-a-better-country/

Documents and Analysis following the Decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, case of Besnik Cani v. Albania (vetting), AksesDrejtesiAlbania

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If Besnik Cani v. Albania case in Strasburg would construe a Precedent (unifying verdict) 8 other judges and prosecutors today would be awarded the same rights as Mr. Cani, as the Judge elected in violation of the statutory criterias is part of nine Decisions where the KPA (Appeals Chamber) has opposed the qualifications in the KPK (Independent Qualification Commission)

The previous day, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg issued a decision on the case of Besnik Cani against Albania. Mr. Cani is a prosecutor who passed the first stage of evaluation in the KPK (Decision No. 84/2018), but was dismissed by the Special Appeals Panel (Decision 2.2020). His case in Strasbourg referred precisely to the decision of the KPA, with the argument that the right to due process had been violated, since one of the member judges of the College, Mr. L.D., had been appointed in violation of the statutory criteria, having previously been dismissed from his office as a judge in First Instance Court.

The Strasbourg Court accepted the request of Mr. Besnik Cani, awarding him the right to claim that he was not given a proper process. Mr. Cani’s profile and documents concerning his evaluation HERE

The Decision issued on October 4th by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, it seems to cast doubts on quite a few decisions, where the KPA Judge (elected contrary to the statutory criteria) was a member of the body that made said decisions. Specifically, below we will list the cases in which the Judge or Prosecutor under the Vetting Process had been confirmed by the Temporary Qualification Commission, but was later dismissed by the KPA- Special Appeals Chamber composed of a panel that included Mr. L.D.

The documents listed below are part of the Access to Justice database – the Register of Magistrates, a register created by the AIS organization with the aim of increasing transparency, integrity and public trust in individuals who are part of the justice system.

Confirmed in KPK (Independent Qualification Commission) and dismissed in KPA (Appeals Chamber)

 

  1. Decision No. 12/2018 (JR) dated 17.12.2018, the subject of the re-evaluation is Bashkim Dedja, confirmed by the KPK and dismissed by the KPA; Luan Daci – Rapporteur of the case, see passport and documents: HERE
  2. Decision No. 6/2019 (JR) dated 28.02.2019, including the minority opinion; the subject of the re-evaluation is Antoneta Sevdari, confirmed by the KPK and dismissed by the KPA, case Presided by Luan Daci; documents and passport of the subject: HERE
  3. Decision No. 9/2019 (JR) dated 18.04.2019; the subject of the re-evaluation Astrit Faqolli, confirmed by the KPK and dismissed by the KPA, with Luan Daci acting as Member; documents and passport of the subject: HERE
  4. Decision No. 11/2019 (JR) dated 22.05.2019, including the parallel opinion; the subject of the re-evaluation is Edmond Islamaj, confirmed by the KPK and dismissed by the KPA, Presided by Luan Daci; Register of Magistrates – documents and passport of the subject: HERE
  5. Decision No. 14/2019 (JR) dated 09.07.2019, including parallel opinions; Alma Brati, the subject of the re-evaluation See Profile HERE, confirmed by the KPK and dismissed by the KPA, with Luan Daci acting as Member;
  6. Decision No. 19/2019 (JR) dated 26.07.2019, including the parallel opinion; the subject of re – evaluation Xhezair Zaganjori, confirmed by the KPK and dismissed by the KPA, with Luan Daci acting as Member; documents listed: HERE
  7. Decision No. 27/2019 (JR) dated 24.10.2019; the subject of re-evaluation Artur Malaj, confirmed by the KPK and dismissed by the KPA, with Luan Daci acting as Member See Profile HERE
  8. Decision No. 2/2020 (JR) dated 27.02.2020, including the parallel opinion; the subject of re-evaluation Besnik Cani, confirmed by the KPK and dismissed by the KPA, with Luan Daci acting as Member, the European Court of Human Rights accepted his appeal with a Decision dated October 4th, 2022.
  9. Decision No. 4/2020 (JR) dated 12.03.2020; the subject of re-evaluation Arben Dollapaj, confirmed by the KPK and dismissed by the KPA; Luan Daci – Rapporteur.

Meanwhile, KPA member Luan Daci was appointed by the Assembly as a member of the Special Appeals Chamber on June 17, 2017. A criminal investigation was filed against him in the Supreme Court thereafer. He exercised this duty until his suspension from the College (December 2021).

Mr. Luan Daci has been part of the collegial body  in about 35 Decisions concerning re-evaluations of Judges and Prosecutors which constitute Dismissal Decisions in the KLP (High Prossecutor’s Office), who remained in force even after the appeal in the KPA (Appeals Chamber).

All KPA Decisions are published and carefully listed in the Register of Magistrates Access to Justice Akses Drejtësi, a platform created by the AIS organization as an open and transparent model of a Magistrate’s Register.

 

393 Donors during the 2021 Election Campaign, SP receives the largest donations, LSI surpasses the DP, List of Donors for each party

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Open Data Albania is publishing the names and donation size of Electoral Donors in the 2021’s April Elections. Donors in Electoral Campaigns are private subjects, companies, legal entities or individuals who donate funds, goods or services to candidates or electoral parties. Donations are mandatory to be divulged based on the agreed legal form. Donations of goods or services, provided without compensation in return are considered in-kind and their value is accounted for and reported. The Electoral Code requires that, for donations above the amount of ALL 50,000, a special account must be opened and all transactions above this value must pass through it. See the article HERE
  • Based on the official Records, it emerges that there are 9 parties that have disclosed the size of donation as well as the identity of donors, the Socialist Party, the Democratic Party, the Socialist Movement for Integration, the National Front Party, the Union Party for Human Rights, the Agrarian Environmentalist Party, the Hashtag Initiative and the Movement for Change.
  • 393 donors were rounded up for all political parties. See the article HERE
  • The size of donations calculated for all political parties is ALL 31,747,216.
  • The amount of donations in cash is ALL 23 168 668 or 73% of the total donations. The amount of donations in kind was estimated at ALL 8,578,548 or 27% of the total donations.
  • In the article you can see the Donations, Amount, names, parties and other aspects concerning in kind and in cash donations.
  • In this section we’ll analyze donations received by the three main parties in the country, the Socialist Party, the Democratic Party and the Socialist Movement for Integration.
  • The Socialist Party and its candidates have benefited from donations amounting to ALL 17,162,800. Of this amount, 83% are donations in cash (ALL 14,245,240), and the rest, 17%, are donations in kind (ALL 2,917,560).
  • The article contains the complete information and data in regards to the proceeds donated to each party and respective candidate.
  • The Democratic Party and its candidates managed to receive donations in the amount of ALL 2,552,601. All donations to the Democratic Party are in the form of in-kind donations. Four candidates of the Democratic Party have declared that they have received private donations. The candidates of the Democratic Party who have benefited from said donations are: Edmond Spaho, Entela Shehaj (in this case the donation came from the candidate herself), Ethem Zyber Aga, and Anduena Qefalia.
  • The Socialist Movement for Integration and its candidates have managed to collect donations in the amount of ALL 8,217,807. The Socialist Movement for Integration has declared that it has received donations from private donors in the amount of ALL 1,174,688, which is 14% of the total amount of donations received. Its candidates have declared that they have received donations in the amount of ALL 7,043,118, or 86% of the total amount donated. It should be noted here that 51 candidates have made donations to themselves or rather, have put their own funds at the disposal of the 2021 election campaign.
  • If from the total donations collected from the three main parties, we discount donations made by the candidates themselves, it appears that the Socialist Party has benefited from donations in the amount of ALL 17,162,800, the Democratic Party and its candidates have benefited of ALL 2,251,141. Meanwhile, the Socialist Movement for Integration Party has benefited from ALL 3,159,169. It seems clear that the Socialist Party and its candidates have managed to collect relatively much more donations compared to the Democratic Party, the Socialist Integration Movement or their respective candidates.
  • The Socialist Party and its candidates have received the abovementioned amount from 127 donors, the Democratic Party and its candidates from 58 donors and the Socialist Integration Movement from 108 donors. See the article HERE
  • A simple calculation of the average amount received per donor shows that a donor of the Socialist Party donated an average of ALL 135,140, a donor of the Democratic Party ALL 38,813, while a donor of the Socialist Integration Movement donated an average of ALL 29,252.
Below you can see the complete list with the size of donations, their form, and the name and surname of the donor. Other articles on Electoral expenditures https://ndiqparate.al/?cat=49 For more details and to have a look at donations for all, big and small parties separately, download and consult the Excel file at the end of the article.

Web-ATRAKO nonfunctonal: Open Corporates Albania offers a comprehensive online Registry for PPP/Concession contracts

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The cyber attack, that started in July 2022 on the Albanian official state database, has also taken offline the database containing information and documents concerning PPP/Concessions from ATRAKO, the Agency for the Handling of Concessions. Their publication, as well as guaranteeing public access are mandatory.   Abanian Institute of Sccience, through its web-portal Open Corporates Albania, has in place a Registry with all the Albanian PPP Concessions contracts and documentaton. This database was created by monitoring, recording, collecting, re-publicating in a well-structured manner of data from the Public Registers, the work and commitment of many years  from AIS  team of analysts.

The Concessionaire Registry OpenCorporates.al is of particular importance especially during this time, with ATRAKO Concession Handling Agency official website, atrako.gov.al and relevant information out of service, due to the cyber attacks on the Republic of Albania’s official databases and systems. (from July 2022).   Our Concessionaire Register contains the following information, business passports and documents: – Concession and PPP Contracts and Agreements; – Information on the PPP and Public Concession Companies management, ownership, and performance; – data and documents on Companies selected for PPP Implementation; – the Statute, Financial Statements, Credit Agreements, documents on legal issues; – Financial control packages; – Treasury Transactions and Payments over the Years; – Extensions and Amendments to the initial contract or agreement; – Feasibility studies and procurement procedure documents for awarding PPP or Concession through competition; – fees and concessionary conditions; – etc.

The purpose for which this database was created and operates matches our desire and will that the data for this important public sector be easily accessible and transparent. The database applies the best standards of data publication and access and creates opportunities for objective analysis and assessment.

The information provieded by the database demonstrate consistency in time, tracking documents from the PPP planning phase, to the finalization and subsequent implementation. The information is complete, revised and updated over time. The data has been retrived over the years in the followoing Public Registers: Official Bulletins of the Albanian Government; Parliament Archives; Business Registration Center; Licensing Center; Official Gazette of the Republic of Albania; Publications of the Treasury Directorate; Publications of the Public Procurement Agency; Publications of Public Business Registers in EU countries; Publications of AKBN, i.e National Agency of Natural Resources.

OpenCorporates Albania, – data on the Concessionary Company,- functions simulaneaously as a service, instrument and a database, created by the Civil Society in implementation of the “OpenData Access and Trasaprency over sectors exposed to risk of corruption” Project. Other products of AIS’s work in the implementation of the “OpenData Access and Trasaprency over sectors exposed to risk of corruption” project involve the publication of Reports and Research Articles regarding Concessions and Private Public Partnerships in the country, which can be accessed online via the NdiqParate webpage, by searching on the topic of Concessions