Reflections while choosing an electoral system - the case of albania

• Author: Bogdani Mirela P.- Bjanku Florian
• Position: Public Law Department, Law Faculty, University of Tirana ,Albania - Luigj Gurakuqi University, Shkodra, Albania
• Pages: 22-28

AGORA International Journal of Juridical Sciences, www.juridicalj ournal.univagora.ro

ISSN 1843-570X, E-ISSN 2067-7677

No. 2 (2013), pp. 22-28

22

REFLECTIONS WHILE CHOOSING AN ELECTORAL SYSTEM -

THE CASE OF ALBANIA

M. P. Bogdani, F. Bjanku

Mirela P. Bogdani

Public Law Department, Law Faculty,

University of Tirana, Albania

E-mail: mirela_bogdani@yahoo.com

Florian Bjanku

Luigj Gurakuqi University, Shkodra, ALBANIA

E-mail: bjanku@gmail.com

Abstract

This paper aims to present some reflections and legal issues that are crucial and

should be considered when choosing an electoral system. The paper will present current

Albanian legislation and practices in the process of conferring, choosing and implementing

the electoral systems in Albania as well as citizens rights and preferences with regards to

these issues, as a fundamental pillar of democracy and rule of law.

Albania, as many other post communist countries is going through a long process of

democratization of life and institutions and is also facing challenges on its road to EU

integration, to tolerant and governments and open-minded society. Elections are very crucial

political processes for electing citizens to run the country and take all major decisions on the

behalf of the others. Choosing an electoral system according to which votes of citizens will be

transformed into seats of Parliament or offices for elected officials is a very complex process

that requires consideration from all actors such as political parties, citizens, group of

interests, non governmental organizations etc. These actors, being political or non-political

ones will need to come up with an elaborated decision for choosing the most appropriate

electoral system for a country, since there are many of them implemented all around the

world. Factors, elements, issues, citizen’s interests, elections formulas and features to be

considered when choosing an electoral system, as a matter of choice will be presented more

deeply in this paper.

Key words: Electoral System, citizens’ interest, elections’ formulas, democracy,

Majoritarian voting system & Corrected Majoritarian (Albanian case - Parliamentary

Elections in Albania in 2001 & 2005), Proportional System, Regional Proportional System

(Albanian case – Parliamentary elections held in Albania in 2009).

Introduction

A. General Considerations

Political parties have a preference of the electoral system that favors them and of

course lead them to a victory of majority of seats in legislative institutions or elected officials

they promote or the ones that are supported by them. In different countries, political parties

would prefer proportional representation versus majoritarian one and that is related to the