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Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The Central Election Commission approved the official list of candidates in the elections of 5 municipalities on November 9. Thus, in Vlora, Brunila Mersini of the SP and Dionis Sota, an independent, supported by the DP, will run.
Here, the CEC rejected Gjergj Nika's candidacy with the argument that even though as a councilor, he did not need to collect signatures, he had to present an initiative committee to register as an independent.
"The procedural aspect is completely clear, you have to follow a certain procedure to go to the registration process. And I think that the exception that the Electoral Code has made for a certain category, such as candidates supported by voters, for which there is a certain procedure, different from what it has for political entities. And the candidates must respect the procedure. You had the obligation to affirm yourself as a candidate supported by the electorate only by preparing this request to an Initiative Committee. The favor that the law has done you is that you did not need to collect signatures. Of course, there is room for discussion, but we have a precedent in 2023, where it will be necessary that even in the case where candidates are supported by voters, who are deputies or mayors, the proposal for them must come to the Initiative Committee. We have such a precedent, so respecting this precedent, with the greatest regret, but we cannot register you as a candidate. Of course, you have every right to contest this decision, but in the recorded precedent, we cannot register your candidacy," said Celibashi.
While Nika previously claimed that the law on voting allows him to register for the November 9 elections. According to him, with a certificate from their institutions, they can register while holding a mandate of over six months.
"First of all, the law allows me, since you have expressed it very clearly, article 70 point 4, it is written, candidates who are mayors of municipalities, members of the Municipal Council and deputies. With a certificate from their institutions, they can register by holding a mandate of over six months. It is written very clearly, if it were in point 4, the removal of point 3 would not be written, then here we would need interpretation, but the thing is very clear", said Nika.
3 candidates will be in Cërrik and Mat, while in Berat, Ervin Ceca of the Socialist Party and Pavlo Shkarpa, an independent (supported by the Democratic Party), are running against each other. Meanwhile, in Tepelena, Gramoz Sakos' rival Gabriel Guma was registered despite being convicted of violating traffic rules and driving illegally.
"The independent candidate supported by the DP in Tepelena, Guma, has been convicted of 'violating traffic rules' and 'driving a vehicle in an irregular manner', with 1 year and 4 months in prison!" , said the CEC administration.
According to his legal defense attorney, Guma's sentence has been converted to probation, so he is not in the conditions of being banned from running.
"One of the other alternative forms of punishment has been applied to him. He has not served a single day in prison. Therefore, he is not in the conditions of being banned from running," said his representative Marsh Logu.
Meanwhile, the head of the CEC, Ilirja Celibashi, decided to register Guma, because according to him, time is not enough and they will ask the institutions for answers on the Guma issue.
"We are deciding on the registration and since there is not enough time to get answers to all the issues, we will ask the prison directorate and the general prosecutor's office, and then we will see how consistent your arguments are," said Celibashi.
The 12 candidates registered for the local by-elections of November 9:
Candidates for the Municipality of Vlora
Brunila Mersini-SP
Dionis Sota- Independent (supported by DP)
Candidates for the Municipality of Berat
Ervin Ceca- SP
Pavlo Shkarpa- Independent (supported by DP)
Candidates for the Municipality of Tepelena
Gramos Sako- SP
Gabriel Guma- Independent (supported by DP) register
Candidates for the Municipality of Cerrik
Florenc Doka- SP
Eligert Hima- Albania Becomes
Amarildo Hoxha- Independent (supported by DP)
Candidates for the Municipality of Mat
Altin Bojni- SP registers
Suzana Pasha- Independent (left the SP)
Eduart Brahilika- Independent (supported by the DP)
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