SEEU Review vol. 6 Nr. 2 (pdf) - South East European University

Luljeta Ikonomi, PhD CandidateSimilarly, nothing has been done in practice for implementation of themeasures of the National strategy on Migration/National Action Planregarding the right to vote of emigrants. The National Action Plan onMigration required the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Foreign Affairsto commission a Feasibility Study during the year 2006, for analysing thebest option/modus operandi to enable emigrants to vote from abroad. Thefindings of the Feasibility Study would have been the basis for establishmentof the relevant infrastructure enabling migrants to vote during the generalelections held in 2009. This political objective has been further sanctionedby the Law on Emigration for Employment Purposes, which provides in itsArticle 6 that emigrants have the right to vote and that respective authoritieswill take all the measures for implementation in practice of such a right.Actually, not a single step has been taken towards fulfilment of such ameasure, regardless of legal stipulation and political commitment. TheFeasibility study was not carried out at all. Most emigrants, both short termand long term still do not vote through Albanian embassies or electronically,or in any other way from abroad, but have to travel for days to comeAlbania, in the designated voting station (as per their place residence inAlbania), which practically makes this right impossible to exercise. Themain political parties in Albania- Democratic and Socialist Party that havegoverned Albania during the last 20 years, include in their electoral rhetoriconly the promise to assist and protect the rights of emigrants but they do notdiscuss on any possibility for emigrants to exercise their basic political righttovote in their home country. If we take in consideration that migrants’remittances have been the main arteries of the Albanian economy, notenabling migrants to vote on how their remittances are governed, is injusticeto them.ConclusionsThe overall impact of Diaspora on Albanian society is an undisputed fact.It has influenced the relevant structures to draft respective legislation andpolicies, aiming to maximize benefits from Diaspora/Migrant Communities.National Strategy on Migration, it’s implementing Action Plan and pursuantto them, National Action Plan on Remittances, are clear indications of suchimpact in the development of the policies of the Albanian Governments.Given the number of emigrants and the (potential) influence of the Albaniantraditional Diaspora, it was not a surprise that Albania was the first countryto Western Balkans to draft a National Strategy on Migration with a holistic52