Disgruntled exiles with mail voting

However, the Kosovo diaspora is complaining that the post office vote is a complex and costly process, while the CEC argues they are implementing laws in force.

For 25-year-old Arlind Alidema, who has lived for three years in the United States, participation in early elections on February 14th is very important.

Arlind says he followed all the application procedures to vote by mail, but was disappointed when he saw the list of voters published on the Central Election Commission page.

I'm like everybody followed the rules in time. I was waiting for them to call me. They didn't call. The moment they showed that they were going to publish the list I saw my name is not on the list. It was shocking to me, and I went in to see if I forgot about any data or date. I saw it's okay, the ID copy was part of email”, he says.

Arlind expected the process to be easier than in the 2019 elections, when he says he was allowed to vote from America.

I saw this year that it was even more unnecessaryly complicated”, Arlind adds in an interview for the Voice of America.

The applicants who weren't approved had access to complaint in the Electoral Panel for Ances and Parastres, only via mail.

The PZAP told the Voice of America that at their address a significant number of complaints that are under consideration.

Albanian-American Esad Gjonbalaj is also unhappy with the process, as his application was verified, while his wife's application was not. Although both had applied together.

But that's not the only problem he has. The CEC's decision that the votes by mail should arrive in Kosovo before Election Day left Mr. Gjonbalaj only one opportunity to submit the vote in a quick post office, which costs over 100 dollars to ensure that his vote is counted.

<x0) I think the CEC is not implementing the law, but I think it is penalising the Albanian diaspora by its manner of conduct and treatment. Let the CEC members know they don't have all the opportunities to pay $160 for one vote. There are families that are early, there are families that say the word of the people that didn't take America for good”, he says.

The CEC stresses that it is not in its power, as it must enforce laws in force.

“Already with the Constitutional Court act is specified as well as the timeline for general elections, which means that votes from abroad through mail must be accepted by the CEC before election day, as defined by CEC rules in this case by February 12th”, says of American Voice Valmir Elezi, spokesperson of the Central Election Commission

Mark Gjonaj, member of the New York Municipal Council and active activist on immigration issues in Albania and Kosovo, says this process is exempting from decision making those who helped rebuild Kosovo.

“By complicating the process and making it very costly, it enables people who have helped build Kosovo to vote. Those who helped declare Kosovo's independence. Those who suffered, helped, fought and shed blood, today are being told thank you for your service, remain willing to act when we need you, but we know what is best”, said Mr. Johnaj.

He calls on citizens for fair voting to exercise that right.

“E know it's a financial burden, it was a very complicated process, but your vote is for you, for your future and the people of Kosovo”, Mr. Gjonaj concludes.

Besnik Pula, associate professor of Political Sciences at “Virginia Tech”, says the difficulties of the process can cloud the diaspora's strong interest in participating in these elections.

The constitutional right to exercise the right to vote is not fair if there is no access to it, whether there are obstacles that are located directly or indirectly. The ballot is published just 10 days before the election date, and huge sums must be paid to transport the vote to Kosovo, only for it to arrive there in time, because the CEC does not accept the votes it reaches after the election date. This is one way to suppress the diaspora vote”, says Besnik Pula, associate professor at Virginia Tech University.

The CEC says the fact that these are early elections should be taken into account, and the timing of their organisation is much shorter compared to regular election deadlines.

In the 2019 elections, the number of applications to vote by mail was 40 thousand and 313. They approved 35 thousand, 87 percent, or 87 percent of applications.

Applications for this year have increased by 225 percent, with over 130 thousand and 168 applications.

Of these, 102 thousand of 100 voters have been approved, or 78.4 percent of total applicants.

This year, the CEC refused over 28 thousand of 68 applicants, or 21.5 percent, while past elections had refused 5 thousand and 226 applicants, or 12.9 percent.