The General Secretary of the Audiovisual Media Authority, along with several heads of the institution, organized today a meeting with the heads of the Council of Europe Office in Tirana and international experts from the Council of Europe, who are in Albania as part of the assistance planning in the upcoming national elections.
The delegation included Giulia Re, Head of the CoE Office in Tirana, Olsi Dekovi, Deputy Head of the Office, Liri Kopaci di Michele, Chair of the Parliamentary and Electoral Cooperation Division, Franck Daeschler, Coordinator for the Electoral Program in the same Division, and international experts Ardita Driza Maurer and Rasto Kuzeli.
During the meeting, the General Secretary of AMA, Ms. Romelda Rapollari, gave an overview on the work of AMA, focusing on the institution’s role and contribution to monitoring electoral processes.
According to the provisions of the Electoral Code, the monitoring of the electoral campaign on audiovisual media is carried out by AMA. This monitoring is conducted throughout the territory where the elections are held. AMA presents its findings in detailed reports, which are submitted to the Central Election Commission (CEC) for consideration. Additionally, in accordance with the Electoral Code, the CEC has approved the methodology for monitoring audio and audiovisual media, a document that outlines the procedures and techniques followed by AMA during the electoral campaign monitoring.
Representatives of AMA responded to the interest of experts regarding the monitoring process, the focus areas of this process during elections, as well as the methodology for monitoring and analyzing content in general.
During the meeting, Ms. Rapollari also highlighted the past collaborations with the CoE office in Tirana, as well as expressed their willingness to support AMA’s work in various fields, including providing expertise for the new monitoring studio, which the institution is in the process of establishing.
The presence of CoE international experts in Tirana is part of the Council of Europe’s planning for assistance in the upcoming elections in Albania, focusing on enhancing the institutional capacities of the Central Election Commission. Special attention will be given to improving the media monitoring capacities, overseeing campaign financing, and the effectiveness of resolving electoral disputes.
