Whereas the United States maintains strong and friendly
relations with the Republic of Albania and appreciates the ongoing support of
the people of Albania;
Whereas the President of Albania has called for elections
to Albania’s parliament, known as the People’s Assembly, to be held on July 3,
2005;
Whereas Albania is one of 55 participating States in the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), all of which have
adopted the 1990 Copenhagen Document containing specific commitments relating
to the conduct of elections;
Whereas these commitments, which encourage transparency,
balance, and impartiality in an election process, have become the standard by
which observers determine whether elections have been conducted freely and
fairly;
Whereas, though improvements over time have been noted,
the five multiparty parliamentary elections held in Albania between 1991 and
2001, as well as elections for local offices held between and after those
years, fell short of the standards in the Copenhagen Document to varying
degrees, according to OSCE and other observers;
Whereas with OSCE and other international assistance, the
Government of Albania has improved the country’s electoral and legal framework
and enhanced the capacity to conduct free and fair elections;
Whereas subsequent to the calling of elections, Albania’s
political parties have accepted a code of conduct regarding their campaign
activities, undertaking to act in accordance with the law, to refrain from
inciting violence or hatred in the election campaign, and to be transparent in
disclosing campaign funding; and
Whereas meeting the standards in the Copenhagen Document
for free and fair elections is absolutely essential to Albania’s desired
integration into European and Euro-Atlantic institutions, including full
membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as well as to
Albania’s progress in addressing official corruption and combatting organized
crime: Now, therefore, be it
That Congress—
(1)welcomes the opportunity for the Republic
of Albania to demonstrate its willingness and preparedness to take the next
steps in European and Euro-Atlantic integration by holding parliamentary
elections on July 3, 2005, that meet the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) standards for free and fair elections as defined
in the 1990 Copenhagen Document;
(2)firmly believes
that the citizens of Albania, like all people, should be able to choose their
own representatives in parliament and government in free and fair elections,
and to hold these representatives accountable through elections at reasonable
intervals;
(3)supports
commitments by Albanian political parties to adhere to a basic code of conduct
for campaigning and urges such parties and all election officials in Albania to
adhere to laws relating to the elections, and to conduct their activities in an
impartial and transparent manner, by allowing international and domestic
observers to have unobstructed access to all aspects of the election process,
including public campaign events, candidates, news media, voting, and
post-election tabulation of results and processing of election challenges and
complaints;
(4)supports assistance by the United States to
help the people of Albania establish a fully free and open democratic system, a
prosperous free market economy, and the rightful place of Albania in European
and Euro-Atlantic institutions, including the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO); and
(5)encourages the
President to communicate to the Government of Albania, to all political parties
and candidates in Albania, and to the people of Albania the high importance
attached by the United States Government to this parliamentary election as a
central factor in determining the future relationship between the United States
and Albania.