Albanian parliamentary elections have always been a source of concern, manipulations and contestation. The parties in power have tried everything, and I mean everything, to get as many votes as they can. Meanwhile, the opposition has tried everything to do the same by exposing the other at the same time.
Albanians are still far away from any assurance that these elections will not be similar to those past.
Meanwhile, political parties have supercharged their electoral machines and put them to work in every and any direction that can produce results for them.
This time, like in the past, promises are just like toilet paper and hype is everything!
However, there is a growing concern and awareness among people that something needs to be done. Not everyone feels represented and there are those, myself included, who do not feel any type of representation!
Journalists and a substratum of people
The other day I read a reaction by the Union of Journalists (in Albania) that had criticized a decision of the Central Electoral Commission, CEC, which obliges TV stations to transmit tapes of campaign events, calling it a return to censorship. (read more here)
Another reaction that I saw online was that of a group of people who are suggesting that we put an X over our ballot paper as a sign of protest against the politocracy that has been established in Albania. One recent video that they had put together under the name #occupyalbania (the white vote).
Meanwhile, NGO’s and other such politically oriented organizations are calling on people to vote for change and also vote so that their vote does not count against them (such as when someone else votes in their stead)
