Albania’s 'noncompetitive' local elections: A means to what end?


Light lunch provided

On 30 June Albania held elections for mayors and local councils across its 61 municipalities. With the two main opposition parties boycotting the vote, voters faced little or no meaningful choice. Only a fifth of the electorate turned out. Rather than help consolidate the country’s pro-democratic reform efforts, the elections appear to have perpetuated the political and constitutional crisis. Were the international community’s concerns that postposed elections would set a dangerous precedent grounded? Did the worries about the fate of the judicial reform justify the holding of what many commentators described as a deeply flawed vote? What lessons can be drawn from the Albanian democracy dilemma?