Constitutional Assembly elections were held in the
People's Socialist Republic of Albania
The People's Socialist Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika Popullore Socialiste e Shqipërisë, links=no) was the Marxist–Leninist one party state that existed in Albania from 1946 to 1992 (the official name of the country was the People's R ...
on 31 March 1991, with later rounds on 7 April and 14 April. They were the first multi-party elections since 1923, and were held after the formation of new political parties was legalised on 11 December 1990 following a strike by 700 students at the
University of Tirana
The University of Tirana ( sq, Universiteti i Tiranës, abbreviated UT) is a public university located at the central borough of Tirana 10 in Tirana, Albania. It was established as the ''State University of Tirana'' in 1957 through merging of f ...
over poor dormitory conditions and a power failure, which subsequently became politicised under the influence of
Sali Berisha
Sali Ram Berisha (; born 15 October 1944) is an Albanian conservative politician and former cardiologist who served as the second President of Albania from 1992 to 1997 and Prime Minister from 2005 to 2013.
He is also the current chairman of ...
.
The result was a landslide victory for the socialist ruling
Party of Labour of Albania
The Party of Labour of Albania ( sq, Partia e Punës e Shqipërisë, PPSh), sometimes referred to as the Albanian Workers' Party (AWP), was the ruling and sole legal party of Albania during the communist period (1945–1991). It was founded o ...
, which won 169 of the 250 seats. Voter turnout was reported to be 98.6%.
[ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p137 ]
Background
The elections were held in an atmosphere of economic disruption and social instability. The ruling Party of Labour of Albania had various advantages while campaigning, such as control or influence over most media and a far larger pool of resources than its nascent opposition. There was also little opportunity for the urban-based
Democratic Party of Albania
The Democratic Party of Albania ( sq, Partia Demokratike e Shqipërisë, PD or PDSH) is a conservative political party in Albania. It has been the largest opposition party in the country since 2013.
The Democratic Party of Albania was founded ...
and other anti-communist opposition parties to influence the rural countryside and its peasantry, who feared that the Democratic Party would privatize land holdings and restore them to
pre-war landowners, which the ruling party emphasized as it focused its efforts on rural voters. The PLA and its associated
mass organizations (such as the
Democratic Front) produced a platform which rested upon stated commitments to preventing the country's slide into "chaos" along with promises of promoting the growth of a regulated market economy, support for political pluralism, and support for
European integration. The Democratic Party platform promised the transformation of living standards through membership in the
European Community
The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organization created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisb ...
, strong ties with the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and other Western nations, ''
Gastarbeiter
(; both singular and plural; ) are foreign or migrant workers, particularly those who had moved to West Germany between 1955 and 1973, seeking work as part of a formal guest worker program (). As a result, guestworkers are generally consider ...
'' jobs in
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
and
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
factories abroad, and immediate steps towards a free-market economy.
The
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
noticeably supported the Democratic Party, which the ruling PLA criticized to its own advantage. Democratic Party politician and Berisha aide
Gramoz Pashko was quoted in mid-March after having visited the United States that his party would receive a "blank check" from the American Government upon coming to power, which would have entailed admission to such organizations as the
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster glo ...
and the
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...
. "David Swartz, the head of the State Department delegation sent to reopen the U.S. embassy in
Tiranë
Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...
, said that the United States would provide Albania with desperately needed humanitarian assistance but that economic aid would be granted only if democratic forces came to power." The
National Endowment for Democracy
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is an organization in the United States that was founded in 1983 for promoting democracy in other countries by promoting political and economic institutions such as political groups, trade unions, ...
gave around $103,000 to the dissident labor movement backing the Democratic Party along with, according to
William Blum
William Henry Blum (; March 6, 1933 – December 9, 2018) was an American author, critic of United States foreign policy and socialist. He lived in Washington, DC.
Early life
Blum was born at Beth Moses Hospital (now part of Maimonides Medical ...
, activities aimed to "support training and civic education programs."
Since the start of the campaign Democratic Party leaders claimed to international observers that the elections would neither be free nor fair, and later stated that the elections had been conducted amid a "climate of fear." International observers, however, generally regarded the election as fair and that fraud and manipulation were minimal despite the substantial advantages enjoyed by the PLA. Over 1,000 candidates from 11 parties or political movements, as well as a score of independents, contested the 250 parliamentary seats.
Electoral system
The 250 members of the Assembly were elected in single-member districts via a
two-round system
The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resu ...
. Candidates who won a majority of the votes (50 percent plus one vote) were elected in the first round. If two candidates obtained over 25 percent of the vote, but less than 50 percent, the top two candidates proceeded to a run-off on 7 April. If only one candidate or no candidates received 25 percent of the vote, the parties would nominate additional candidates to stand for election on 14 April. A candidate who received more than 25 percent of the vote would remain on the ballot with a new challenger. At least two candidates had to appear on the ballot for any given election, or the election would have to be re-run on 14 April.
All Albanian citizens aged 18 or older were eligible to vote, "so long as they had not been convicted of a penal act or were not declared mentally incompetent by a court". Voting was not compulsory, unlike prior elections. Albanian citizens travelling abroad on business were also allowed to vote by obtaining a certificate allowing them to vote out of their district, and, on election day, the voter would present the certificate at the nearest Albanian diplomatic mission. Overseas votes were counted as part of a district in Tirana. Voters with "legitimate reasons" why they would be unable to vote in their assigned district were also given certificates to vote in another, as long as the number of certificates issued was no more than 15% of the total number of registered voters in that district.
The 1991 Elections in Albania: Report of the Election Observer Delegation
National Republican Institute for International Affairs
The International Republican Institute (IRI) is an American nonprofit organization. Most of its board is drawn from the Republican Party. It is committed to advancing freedom and democracy worldwide by helping political parties to become more issu ...
Results
Seats won by administrative area
Aftermath
The new People's Assembly was convened on 10 April. On 29 April a new constitution came into effect proclaiming the modern-day Republic of Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares l ...
, with the new post of President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
coming into existence a day later and held by Ramiz Alia
Ramiz Tafë Alia (; 18 October 1925 – 7 October 2011) was an Albanian politician serving as the second and last leader of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania from 1985 to 1991, serving as First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Alban ...
, who resigned from his post as First Secretary of the PLA on the same day. On 12 June 1991 the PLA was reformed into the Socialist Party of Albania.
References
External links
ALBANIA Parliamentary Chamber: Kuvendi Popullor: Elections held in 1991
Inter-Parliamentary Union
{{Albanian elections
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
1991 in Albania
Parliamentary elections in Albania
March 1991 events in Europe
Election and referendum articles with incomplete results