Tomorrow, Jun 23, elections will be taking place here in Albania and. The result is expected to be close so the votes of those that are still undecided will probably decide the outcome. In this post I'll be trying to provide some guidelines that can make the decision easier.
The first big decision is to decide if you'll cast a pragmatic vote or an idealist vote. This is largely dependent on the person and although most people have both a pragmatic side and idealist side, you first have to choose what's the better option in this case. If you decide to go with a pragmatic vote, there are two alternatives:
- Cast your vote to decide the next prime minister. There are only three realistic alternatives: Sali Berisha - PD, Edi Rama - PS and Ilir Meta - LSI. Choose the one you think is the best next prime minister and cast the vote to the corresponding party.
- Cast your vote to decide the best candidate in your district. With the current elections system the votes of the undecided will most likely decide only the last mandate in each district (the last two in Tirana probably). So compare the alternatives and vote for the one you think is the best representative in the next parliament. For Tirana the last mandates to be decided (based on my prediction) are:
- Milena Harito - PS or Klajda Gjosha - LSI or Gentian Deliallisi - PD or Kreshnik Spahiu - AK or Bamir Topi - FRD. Outside chance for Skender Gjinushi - PSD or Evjeni Kota - PBDNJ or Tahir Muhedini - PDIU
- Milena Harito - PS or Dashamir Peza - PS or Klajda Gjosha - LSI or Gentian Deliallisi - PD or Kreshnik Spahiu - AK or Bamir Topi - FRD. Outside chance for Skender Gjinushi - PSD or Evjeni Kota - PBDNJ or Tahir Muhedini - PDIU
To summarize the above options your vote will decide between:
- Milena Harito or Dashamir Peza - PS
- Klajda Gjosha - LSI
- Gentian Deliallisi - PD
- Kreshnik Spahiu - AK
- Bamir Topi - FRD
- Skender Gjinushi - PSD
- Evjeni Kota - PBDNJ
- Tahir Muhedini - PDIU
The other big alternative is to go the idealist route. In this case also there are two options:
- If you don't find any good alternative between the 66 parties taking part in the elections you should go and cast an invalid vote to show your frustration with the current state of politics in Albania.
- Otherwise you choose the party that best represent your ideal and vote for that party, without caring for the coalition winner, next prime minister, etc.
To provide some help on the 66 parties taking part in the election I'll try and provide some clues on the position taken by each party from the program point of view.
Far right
PBKD - BALLI KOMBËTAR DEMOKRAT, ARTUR ROSHI (Right coalition)
PLL - PARTIA LËVIZJA E LEGALITETIT, EKREM SPAHIU (Right coalition)
PBK - PARTIA BALLI KOMBËTAR, ADRIATIK ALIMADHI (Right coalition)
Right
PLiDr - LIGJ DHE DREJTËSI, SPARTAK NGJELA (Left coalition)
PBR - PARTIA BASHKIMI REPUBLIKAN SHQIPTAR, ZANE LLAZI (Left coalition)
PR - PARTIA REPUBLIKANE SHQIPTARE, FATMIR MEDIU (Right coalition)
LZHK - LËVIZJA PËR ZHVILLIM KOMBËTAR, DASHAMIR SHEHI (Right coalition)
BLD - BASHKIMI LIBERAL DEMOKRAT, ARIAN STAROVA (Right coalition)
KONS - PARTIA KONSERVATORE, ARMANDO RUÇO (Right coalition)
Center right
PPKDSH - PARTIA POPULLORE KRISTIANDEMOKRATE E SHQIPËRISË, PAL SHKAMBI
MDL - PARTIA MENDIMI I DJATHTË LIBERAL, LAURETË LICI (Left coalition)
PKDSH - PARTIA KRISTIAN DEMOKRATE E SHQIPËRISË, DHIMITER MUSLIA (Left coalition)
ADK - ARTIA ALEANCA DEMOKRISTIANE E SHQIPËRISË, ZEF BUSHATI (Left coalition)
ADS - ALEANCA PËR DEMOKRACI DHE SOLIDARITET, GAQO APOSTOLI (Right coalition)
AD - ALEANCA DEMOKRATIKE, ARBEN DEMETI (Right coalition)
PD - PARTIA DEMOKRATIKE, SALI BERISHA (Right coalition)
PDK - PARTIA DEMOKRISTIANE E SHQIPËRISË, NARD NDOKA (Right coalition)
LDK - PARTIA LIDHJA DEMOKRISTIANE SHQIPTARE, NIKOLL LESI (Right coalition)
PBD - PARTIA BASHKIMI DEMOKRAT SHQIPTAR, YLBER VALTERI (Right coalition)
FRD - FRYMA E RE DEMOKRATIKE, BAMIR TOPI
LDP - LIDHJA PËR DREJTËSI DHE PROGRES, ELMAZ SHERIFI
Center left
G99 - PARTIA G 99, ERVIN METE (Left coalition)
PDS - PARTIA DEMOKRACIA SOCIALE, PASKAL MILO (Left coalition)
LSI - LËVIZJA SOCIALISTE PËR INTEGRIM, ILIR META (Left coalition)
PS - PARTIA SOCIALISTE E SHQIPËRISË, EDI RAMA (Left coalition)
PSM - PARTIA SOCIALISTE E MODERUAR, GJERGJI KOJA (Left coalition)
Left
PSV 91 - PARTIA SOCIALISTE E VËRTETË 91, PETRO KOÇI (Left coalition)
PSP - PARTIA SOCIALPUNTORE SHQIPTARE, RAMADAN NDREKA (Left coalition)
PSD - PARTIA SOCIALDEMOKRATE E SHQIPËRISË, SKËNDER GJINUSHI (Left coalition)
Far left
PPSH - PARTIA E PUNËS SË SHQIPËRISË, MUHARREM XHAFA (Left coalition)
PKSH - PARTIA KOMUNISTE E SHQIPËRISË, QEMAL CICOLLARI (Left coalition)
PPSHR - PARTIA E PUNËS E SHQIPËRISË E RIORGANIZUAR, MARKO DAJTI (Left coalition)
PKSH 8 Nëntori - PARTIA KOMUNISTE E SHQIPËRISË 8 NËNTORI, PRENG ÇUNI (Left coalition)
Nationalist
AP - ALEANCA POPULLORE, ARTUR DOJAKA (Left coalition), focused on Chameria case.
PDIU - PARTIA DREJTËSI, INTEGRIM DHE UNITET, SHPËTIM IDRIZI (Right coalition), focused on Chameria case.
AK - ALEANCA KUQ E ZI, KRESHNIK SPAHIU
PUK - PARTIA UNITETIT KOMBETAR, IDAJET BEQIRI (Left coalition)
PSHA - PARTIA SHQIPTARE ATDHEU, KRESHNIK OSMANI (Left coalition)
PPK - PARTIA PAJTIMIT KOMBËTAR, SPARTAK DOBI (Left coalition), focused on Chameria case.
AAK - ALEANCA ARBNORE KOMBËTARE, GJET NDOJ (Left coalition)
PCSH - PARTIA E ÇËSHTJEVE SHQIPTARE, BUJAR SHURDHI (Left coalition), focused on Chameria case.
Islamist
PLSHR - PARTIA LËVIZJA SHQIPËRIA E RE, EDMOND VLASHAJ (Right coalition)
Minorities/Emigrants
PBDNJ - PARTIA BASHKIMI PËR TË DREJTAT E NJERIUT, VANGJEL DULE (Left coalition), focused on Greek minority
PMDE - PARTIA PËR MBROJTJEN E TË DREJTAVE TË EMIGRANTËVE, YMER KURTI (Left coalition)
MEGA - PARTIA MINORITETI ETNIK GREK PËR TË ARDHMEN, KRISTO KIÇO (Right coalition), focused on Greek minority
AMIE - ALEANCA E MAQEDONASVE PËR INTEGRIMIN EUROPIAN, EDMOND THEMELKO (Right coalition), focused on Macedonian minority
ABDE - ALEANCA PËR BARAZI DHE DREJTËSI EUROPIANE, VALENTINO MUSTAKA (Left coalition), focused on Vlachs minority
LDSH - LËVIZJA PËR DREJTËSI E SHQIPËTARËVE, ASTRIT KOSTURI (Left coalition), focused on emigrants
PTR e Shqiperise - PARTIA TOLERANCA E RE E SHQIPËRISË, AVDI KECI (Left coalition), focused on Egyptian minority
PESH - PARTIA EMIGRACIONI SHQIPTAR, KOSTAQ PAPA (Right coalition), focused on emigrants
Ambientalist
PGJ - PARTIA E GJELBËR, EDLIR PETANAJ (Left coalition)
PA - PARTIA AMBIENTALISTE, NASI BOZHEKU (Left coalition)
PAA - PARTIA AGRARE AMBIENTALISTE E SHQIPËRISË, LUFTER XHUVELI (Right coalition)
Ex-persecuted under Communism
PRL - PARTIA RRUGA E LIRISË, KURT KOLA (Left coalition)
PDM - PARTIA E TË DREJTAVE TË MOHUARA, ILIR VATA (Right coalition)
PDM e Re -PARTIA E TË DREJTAVE TË MOHUARA E RE, FATMIR HOXHA (Right coalition)
Limited abilities/Retired
PPAK - PARTIA PERSONAT ME AFTËSI TË KUFIZUAR, AFRIM JESHILI (Left coalition)
PBPPSH - PARTIA BASHKIMI POPULLOR I PENSIONISTËVE SHQIPTAR, SELAMI JENISHERI (Right coalition)
Unknown
PRDSH - PARTIA E REFORMAVE DEMOKRATIKE SHQIPTARE, SKENDER HALILI (Left coalition)
PDIP - PARTIA DEMOKRATE PËR INTEGRIM E PROSPERITET, HALIM SEITAJ (Left coalition)
PLPSH - PARTIA LËVIZJA PUNËTORE SHQIPTARE, SHEFQET MUSARAJ (Left coalition)
PASH - PARTIA ARDHMËRIJA SHQIPTARE, EMIN SUBASHI (Left coalition)
PLDN - PARTIA LËVIZJA DEMOKRATIKE PËR NDRYSHIM, NIKOLIN STAKA (Left coalition)
PDRE - PARTIA DEMOKRACIA E RE EUROPIANE, KOÇI TAHIRI (Right coalition)
PRVSH - PARTIA RRUGA E VËRTETË SHQIPTARE, MUHARREM DODA (Right coalition)
POSH - PARTIA ORA E SHQIPËRISË, ZEF SHTJEFNI (Right coalition)