The first to be affected by the “Territorial Reform,” CEC head Celibashi: We need more clarity and time; an election date cannot be set before the changes are…

The new administrative-ter territorial division is expected to affect the CEC’s governing bodies first, as they will have to organize the 2027 local elections. In an interview with To Channel, Commissioner Ilirjan Celibashi spoke further about the time that would be needed to prepare the electoral process under a new territorial framework.

“It would be good if the time available were more than six months—seven months, eight months, nine months—and I do not know how much time will actually remain. I cannot say today how this could affect the quality of preparations for the upcoming elections from an infrastructure, logistical and organizational perspective,” Celibashi said.

He then outlined several deadlines for when the territorial reform should be approved, saying that they all depend on the President’s setting of the election date.

“If the President sets the election date, then it would not make sense for these elections. I cannot say clearly and confidently at this point what legal implications there would be if the Assembly approved the new territorial division after the President of the Republic announced the election date. I do not know; we will have to wait for developments at the beginning of the new parliamentary session regarding this issue. I am not discussing the number—whether there will be 46, 60 or 100 municipalities—but we need clarity. There are several provisions related to the election date, with certain periods during which activities are prohibited. You cannot hold referendums on election day, whether for parliamentary elections or elections for local government bodies. Then, in fact, it is the Constitutional Court that will have to rule on the constitutionality of the request for a referendum,” said the head of the CEC.