OSCE Presence, ODIHR urge wider consultation ahead of Albanian parliamentary vote on lustration law

TIRANA, 22 December 2008 - The Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Ambassador Robert Bosch, and the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Ambassador Janez Lenarcic, today urged the Albanian Parliament to consider postponing its planned vote on a draft lustration law to allow sufficient time for broad consultation.

"It is essential that any lustration process meet international standards and be carried forward with the widest possible consensus," said Bosch.

Lenarcic said: "The law has serious constitutional and political implications, and postponing the vote to allow for wider consultation and public debate would be welcome."

The ambassadors emphasized that the Presence in Albania and ODIHR stood ready to support the Albanian authorities, and if requested, to provide assistance and expertise on the draft legislation.