AIS against the Draft Law on Defamation

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AIS as a promoter of Open Data Albania joins the call of BIRN Albania against the Draft Law on the Defamation. This draft law foresees and open the way to the imprisonment of journalists. Any claim for criticism or a negative analysis for corruption will serve for stakeholders as a defamation reason. Until our problematic judicial system will prove the claim, who knows how many journalists will be unjustly in jail?

AIS joins the call of BIRN Albania http://www.reporter.al/kriminalizimi-i-shpifjes-ndaj-zyrtareve-te-larte-kercenim-per-demokracine/

The government is asked to withdraw the draft law that criminalize the defamation against the elected high state officials.  http://www.parlament.al/web/pub/pligj_shtese_7895_kodi_penal_24268_1.pdf

Also, AIS urges the Albanian Parliament to not pass this law and invites all civil actors to join the campaign.

AIS in Court against the three main parties: Transparency on Electoral Donors

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The preliminary court session between AIS and the three main political parties will be held on 5th of October 2015 at the Administrative Court of Tirana. AIS has indicted the Socialist Party (PS), the Democratic Party (DP) and the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI) to the right of information on their electoral financing.

The main issues to be reviewed are: the AIS complaint and the legal interpretation of whether the public has the right to know in real time who is funding the electoral campaigns of the major parties in the country.

Political Parties request to information: http://ais.al/new/en/political-parties-and-access-to-information-on-electoral-financing-ais-complaint/

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Lawsuit act

Court Call document

AIS participant at the Telecenter Europe Conference

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Albanian Institute of Science as a member of Telecenter Europe Network participated at the annul Conference held in Beograd between 24-25 of September. Issues of employment in the ICT sector at the european market and the capacity building over different target groups were the main focus of the conference. Moreover the conference served to present the online program I-LINC a program that provides online traning for capacity building in the europenan market. The platform targeted mainly young people from East-Europe. The second day of the conference focused more on the e-Participation and the implementation of e-UROPA program, on which Albania is a beneficiary.

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Call for reporters within the Open Spending Initiative

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In addition to our program Money, Government and Politics, AIS invites media representatives and reporters to become part of a network committed to transparency in public spending. Open Spending Initiative consist in creating a network of affirmed local reporters engaged in informing the public about the public expenditures of budgetary institutions in Albania. In this initiative AIS will be involved in the organization of a workshop and a Datathon event with the participation of the network members.

The workshop activity purpose will be:

– Finding sources of information about budget expenditures of municipalities.

– Measure the efficiency of such spending in providing public services

– Identify cases of conflict of interest

While Datathon 2015 will provide for network members the opportunity to present their findings on the governance based on the collection and the visualization of data for the respective municipalities.

A number of ICT tools for transparency in public spending will be targeted and will be available for the citizens, in order to engage them in the monitoring and participation process of budgeting.

The first activity within the initiative will take place on the first week of October, 2015. This network aims to promote Open Data Journalism in Albania.

 

Reporters are kindly invited to express their interest upon the registration form:

 

registerFor further information on the initiative contact us at: [email protected]

Political parties and access to information on electoral financing. AIS complaint

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In the framework of Money, Transparency and Government program, our organization, the Albanian Institute of Sciences is engaged in publishing and visualizations of the data about Electoral Financing , Transactions of the State Budget to the Political Parties, as well as the Party Donors’ List for the campaigns. Following up on this engagement, at the beginning of the electoral campaign of 2015 our organization officially addressed three of the main subjects in this campaign that is the Socialist Party, the Democratic Party and the Socialist Movement for Integration Party. Through this request we intended to inform the public in real time on the donors, amounts of funds donated and the expenses. In more specific terms, in this request we wanted them to provide us:

  1. The list of donors of non-public funds obtained between 21 May and 21 June 2015 and which exceed the amount of 100 000 (one hundred thousand) ALL or equivalent amount converted into services or items;
  2. The list of all expenses done since 21 May 2015 with annual funds received from the 2015 State Budget.

Although the request was duly sent and was duly received through official mail, we never got an answer on the subject matter of the request. Considering the Political Parties to be important public players, and the transparency with their finances of a particular importance, we have also addressed the Commissioner on the Right to Infomation and Protection of Personal Data with a complaint on the relevant subjects.

We are sending attached a copy of the official requests as well as the complaint sent to the institution.

Our request is based on article, 9, paragraph 3 of the Constitution, article 87/1, article 89 and 90 of the Electoral Code, and on law no. 119/2014 “On the Right to Information” article 2, letter c, article 3 and article 11.

Wishing to give our contribution in establishing the democratic culture of transparency, in the coming weeks or months, in cooperation with one of the best law firms in dealing with public law cases and with expertise in electoral legislation, we will address the institutions and the judiciary with the aim of getting a doctrinal interpretation and regulation of the Right to Information on Electoral Financing. Although the campaing is over, and the auditing reports of the electoral subjects may be published, we deem it appropriate to have a doctrinal interpretation of whether the political parties are subject to the right of information, as well as whether they should make publicly available in real time the data on the campaign donors and campaign expenses.

Having a high regard on the role of the traditional media in covering issues related to electoral transparency and developments, I invite you to follow up on this initiated complaint/case. Should you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 Please find attached a copy of the Complaint addressed to the Commissioner on the Right to Information and Protection of Personal Data and the request addressed to the Political Subjects.

Request for information PD

Request for information LSI

Complaint for the Commissioner of the right to information

Request for information PS

Albanian Institute of Science is looking for a Program Manager-Deadline Extended

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Deadline: 15th of September 2015

The Albanian Institute of Science (AIS), a local organization registered with the District Court of Tirana, is looking for a Program Manager. The period of employment for the selected candidate will be until 1st of January 2016, including two weeks of working test period. The renewal of the employment contract will be closely related with his/her work results for the whole period of contract duration. Candidates should have working experience in a similar position. Those interested may send their CV (including no more than 350 words) to [email protected] until 15th of September 2015. The CV must contain a description of the candidate’s previous experience as a Program Manager. Only candidates shortlisted through a CV-based selection will be invited for an interview. The description of the role and responsibilities of the post are given below:

 Program Manager – roles and responsibilities include:

  • Manages horizontally across the functional projects involved with the program
  • Ensures that cross-project work effort remains feasible from the organization’s standpoint and realizes the benefits
  • Works with the Executive Director and Board of Directors in writing concept notes, project ideas and project proposals within the program
  • Gets involved in setting new objectives and reviewing existing objectives
  • Coordinates activities across projects
  • Oversees the integration and reuse of interim work products and results
  • Involved in integration activities, negotiates changes in plans and communicates them

Broshura e rrjetit Unite-IT në gjuhën Shqipe

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Unite-IT  është rrjet joformal i përfshirjes dixhitale të profesionistëve (mësuesit dhe trajnerët, ekspertët, mjekët, biznesi, hartuesit e politikave, akademikë) që synojnë bashkimin e Evropës përmes Fuqizimit dixhital. Unite-IT  krijon një hapësirë bashkëpunimi për anëtarët e saj që të angazhohen në mënyrë të hapur dialogu, ndajnë  përvoja dhe burime ndërtojnë kontakte mes njëri-tjetrin dhe të krijojnë partneritete.

Kjo do të rrisë kapacitetet e tyre dhe ngritjen e vetëdijes në mesin e shoqërisë në lidhje me potencialet parealizuara të kompetencave dixhitale për përfshirje ekonomike dhe sociale.

Broshurën  me informacion më të detajuar për Unite-IT e gjeni si më poshtë:

UniteIT_2_brochure_ALB

Final Report, ZA’LART 2015

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The ZA’LART platform under the slogan Make Election Count during the period 22 of May- 26 June 2015 reached 411 reports from citizens that contain information and denunciations of abuses in the context of the election campaign during the pre and post elections day of June 21st. Separated in 12 categories reports has identified cases of Abuse of Administration and Public Sector.Such violations marked a high sensitiveness that corresponds to 29% of cases reported or 121 in number.

Many cases of use of public sector are found, like: Mandatory presence of staff administration in electoral rallies, the demand to declare and vote promising in order to protect the work position. Cases of leave of work place are those of hospital staff and health centres that participated in electoral meetings during official timetable signed in Librazhd, FushëArres, Mirditë and Berat.

Tensions and Election Irregularities occupy11% of the citizens’ reports or 53 in number. Problem encountered during election process is the Vote buying phenomena in exchange of money, services and other benefits, reported 5 times more frequently than in the 2013 elections.

Attempts to manipulate the vote of first time voters, by recruiting them in public schools has been a problem often reported during the election campaign such as in: Vora, Rrëshen, Kukës, Kamza and Lezha. The large concentration of police forces, was reported in 13 cases, in particular the most problematic areas like: Koplik, Kruja and Lezha. Denunciations arrived at ZA’LART for categories like: Irregularities of Election Lists 16 reports and Violation of the Right to Vote in 21 reports.

During the pre-election period the largest number of reports arrived from municipality of Fier and Kamza with 17 reports each, as well as from Kukës with 16 reports. While in the Election Day the highest percentage of reports came from Shkodra29.3% followed by Fier 8.2% and Gramsh 7.1%.

Reports were verified and confirmed from the Ad-Hoc editorial room of ZA’LART in 52% of the cases. Each category of reports have been associated by audio-visual evidences,20 (video)and 257 (photo) reports. On the 21st of June (Election Day) 90 were submitted to the platform for categories such as Tensions and Election Irregularities with 25% of reports and Irregularities in the Functioning of Electoral Institutions 17%.

Twenty four reports arrived during the post-election days, 11 reports deal with the various problematic of electoral process and 9 reports with the dysfunction of electoral institutions. The broad impact of reported facts has enabled the media and civil society actors to access first-hand information on the entire election process.

 

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Information and social networks of ZA’LART are:  

➤ WEB: http://zalart.al

➤ FB: ZA’LART – Raised Voice Albania (community)

➤ Twitter – ZA’LART @ZaLartAlbanian

➤ YouTube – ZA’LART 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XpjHdSa0xE

AIS – 3rd International Summer School on Open and Collaborative Governance, 2015

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Albanian Institute of Science will participate at the 3rd International Summer School focusing on Technologies and Applications for Open and Collaborative Governance, organized by the Department of Information and Communication Systems Engineering, University of the Aegean taking place in Samos, Greece from 29th June – 3rd July 2015.

In this activity AIS /Open Data Albania will be represented by two of its members, Ms. Shefiko Hajna, an Open Data Analyst and Ms. Marilda Mancka, one of the founders of the organization and Open Data Albania working group.

OpenGov2015 Summer School will enable participants’ involvement in “Open and Collaborative Governance” issues such as: open data, crowdsourcing, accurate and analytical modeling and simulation tools, data analysis, mining and visualization technologies.

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Joint Declaration of the Members of the Electoral Room regarding the Administration of the Electoral Process

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The Electoral Room has been monitoring the electoral process through its members, the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections and the Albanian Institute for Political Studies, and shall continue to monitor the ballot counting process. It has cooperated with the citizens through the online portal ZALART.al to ensure a due electoral process.

The fact that hundreds of citizens all over Albania have responded to the appeal for reporting every violation they encounter to the zalart.al portal is good news and shows the citizens’ commitment to free and fair elections.

The voting process was generally conducted among a normal situation of public law and order. The performance of the State Police is considered to have been in compliance with the electoral law.

We also appreciate the very important role being played by the media through a minute-after-minute coverage of the electoral situation all over the country.

While limited when compared with previous elections, the public appearances of the political parties on the voting day have broken the electoral silence. In addition, there have been cases of candidates, Members of Parliament and other political representatives seen in the voting centers and in their vicinity in contradiction with the law. It was also observed that the Voting Centre Commissions have not taken any measures to make sure that there is no propaganda materials posted within a distance of 150 meters from the Voting Centers, as the law requires. Such cases were reported from several cities.

Due to delays in the distribution of the electoral materials and the absence of commissioners, the opening of the voting process was delayed in some Voting Centers, or was done without all the members of the commissions being present.

In some cases, it was also observed that people with disabilities were not always provided with the necessary facilities required by the law for enabling them to freely exercise their right to vote.

In several cases, the inadequate professional training of the Voting Centre Commissioners has allowed for some voters to photograph their ballot papers and post them on the social networks. Such a behavior creates room for vote buying and selling, and for a distortion of the voters’ will.

In some Voting Centers in Durres, Kavaja, and Vora, there were attempts to stop voters from voting even though their names were on the voter lists.

So far, the Albanian voters have calmly expressed their will on the ballot boxes. The Members of the Electoral Room urge for every ballot to be counted correctly and for voters’ voice to be heard by the parties in the process.

The founding members of the Electoral Room:

Urge for a good administration of the ballot papers and electoral materials.

Urge the political parties to demonstrate their will for their commissioners to implement the electoral law on the counting, validation, and calculation of the electoral results.

Urge the electoral administration, and particularly the counting teams, to strictly meet the law requirements.

Reiterate their position that every observed violation of the law should be investigated by the law enforcement agencies.

The Electoral Room shall, through the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections continue to monitor the counting process step by step in all the 90 counting centers.