Ballot papers found in the local/ DP: International intervention is needed to uncover the truth

2025-05-24 14:10:00, Politikë CNA

Ballot papers found in the local/ DP: International intervention is needed to

Police in Peqin announced on Friday that they have launched investigations into Dervish Beqiri, the headman of the village of Pekisht, following a complaint from the Democratic Party.

In his bar-cafe, the blue uniforms found and seized 10 ballot papers similar to the ballot papers, incomplete and suspected of being forged, as well as a list of voters. The future MP of the blue headquarters in Elbasan, Blendi Himçi, after this announcement, said that the State Police is covering up the government's electoral crime in Pekisht, while he requested international intervention to uncover the truth.

"I want to denounce today, with concern and indignation, the shameful attempt by the State Police to hide one of the most serious cases of electoral crime in this campaign, in the village of Pekisht.

As candidates and representatives of the Democratic Party in the Elbasan region, we consider untrue and malicious any allusion or claim by the Police that the election materials discovered in the premises of the village headman of Pekisht are falsified. The materials comply with the official format of the ballots and voting lists distributed by the Central Election Commission.

Secondly, to guarantee full transparency, we demand that the expertise on the seized materials be conducted by independent international experts, not by structures that are completely politicized and captured by the government.

Thirdly, we consider the State Police statement to be a well-organized farce that aims to diminish the importance of the event and cover up evidence of the electoral crime that occurred in Pekisht. This behavior confirms that the State Police is not neutral, and is being used to protect the interests of the government.

The Pekishti incident is clear evidence of attempts to buy votes and distort the will of citizens. We will pursue every legal and institutional step to bring the truth to light and protect the electoral process.

Those who cook up and maintain this electoral farce will be held accountable.

Our task is to make this farce public and push justice and the international community to speak and act.

"Without free elections, there is no solution!" said Himçi.

The case in question was initially denounced on Thursday by the leader of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, and Himçi.

The latter said that the lists of voters' names were tampered with. Meanwhile, according to Berisha, in this case the "Bulgarian train" was applied to influence the election result. / CNA