AIS / Open Data Albania Submits Legislative Recommendations to the Ad Hoc Parliamentary Committee for the Implementation of Electoral Reform on the Use of Public Funds and the State Budget during Electoral Periods

Tirana 28 July 2026

AIS / Open Data Albania has submitted a package of legislative recommendations to the Ad Hoc Parliamentary Committee for the Implementation of Electoral Reform aimed at strengthening Albania’s legal framework governing the use of public funds and the State Budget during electoral years and electoral periods, with the objective of preventing the misuse of public resources for electoral advantage or political gain.

The recommendations were presented by Aranita Brahaj, Executive Director of AIS / Open Data Albania, during the High-Level Technical Roundtable “Preventing and Responding to the Misuse of Administrative Resources in Electoral Processes,” organized by the Ad Hoc Parliamentary Committee for the Implementation of Electoral Reform with the support of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI). Following the event, the recommendations were formally submitted to the Committee as the organization’s official contribution to the electoral reform process.

The full document containing the legislative recommendations submitted to the Special Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reform can be accessed and downloaded at the following link:

AIS / Open Data Albania has a longstanding engagement in promoting transparency of political finance, oversight of public resources and integrity of electoral processes. As part of this commitment, the organization has previously contributed to consultation processes concerning the drafting and adoption of the legal framework on political party financing, providing analysis and recommendations during the parliamentary review and approval process of this legislation.

AIS / Open Data Albania’s work in this area focuses on strengthening transparency, public accountability and legal safeguards necessary for ensuring a level playing field in political competition. Previous contributions and recommendations of the organization regarding political finance are available at LINK.

The recommendations submitted to the Committee build upon AIS / Open Data Albania’s long-standing monitoring and analysis of public finances, fiscal transparency and the use of state resources. They propose targeted legislative amendments designed to strengthen electoral integrity, public accountability and safeguards against the misuse of public funds during electoral periods.

The recommendations focus on three principal areas:

• Restoring constitutional standards governing amendments to the Annual State Budget Law by discontinuing the practice of adopting budget amendments through normative acts having the force of law, particularly during electoral periods.
• Amending the Organic Law on the Budgetary System to introduce specific safeguards applicable during electoral years, including restrictions not only on budget deficit execution but also on categories of public expenditure that may provide undue electoral advantage or influence voters through the use of public resources.
• Revising Article 91 of the Electoral Code to strengthen and clarify the prohibitions concerning the planning, approval, allocation, implementation and public financing of financial benefits and public assets during the pre-election period, while reinforcing the Regulatory Commission’s authority to adopt implementing regulations and oversee compliance.

These recommendations are intended to strengthen legal safeguards for the impartial management of public finances during electoral processes and contribute to further alignment of Albania’s legal framework with international standards on democratic elections, electoral integrity and responsible public financial governance.

AIS / Open Data Albania welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the electoral reform process and trusts that these recommendations will receive due consideration during the review of the relevant legal framework.

The organization remains available to provide any additional legal or technical analysis and further substantiation of the proposed amendments.