Report: Political parties refuse background checks, only 6 candidates volunteer

2026-05-19 14:38:25, Aktualitet CNA

Political entities in Albania continue to avoid the process of verifying the candidates' profile, despite the obligations stemming from the law on the opening of files and transparency in public life.

The latest report by the Authority for Information on Documents of the former State Security shows that during 2025 only 6 candidates requested verification on their own initiative, although the institution had officially notified 53 political entities.

“Cooperation with political entities remains an open challenge. Despite the official notification addressed to 53 political entities, only 6 candidates submitted a request for verification on their own initiative,” the report states. According to the institution, “this lack of commitment continues to affect the implementation of Article 30 of Law No. 45/2015 and violates the standards of transparency in electoral processes.”

The data shows that during the period January-December 2025, a total of 242 candidates for public positions, honorary titles, decorations or naming of public spaces were verified. Of these, 15 resulted in findings in the documents of the former State Security.

The authority emphasizes that the verification process has been expanded compared to the previous year. "Compared to 2024, a significant increase in the number of requests is noted, from 82 to 128, while the number of verified candidates remains at similar levels," the report highlights.

The bulk of the requests continue to come from local governments. According to the document, “42 requests, or 30% of the total, come from 22 municipalities,” reflecting a higher commitment from local institutions compared to political entities.

Of the 15 cases with findings, 12 relate to candidates proposed by municipalities for honorary titles, decorations or naming of public spaces. In total, 115 of the 242 verified candidates, or 48%, were proposed precisely for these forms of public evaluation.

The authority announced that during 2025 it also distributed a “Guide for Local Government”, with the aim of standardizing the procedures and documentation necessary for verification of the image. According to the report, this instrument “has significantly improved the quality of cooperation with municipalities, increased the number of correct requests and assisted in the correct implementation of legal requirements”./ Monitor.al