Karaj: No one in the Albanian Parliament represents 250,000 diaspora voters

Political analyst and founder of the LEAL law firm in Tirana, Leonard Karaj, believes that the way diaspora voting was conducted in the May 11 elections in Albania was completely wrong and says he hopes that what happened in Albania will not be repeated in Kosovo.

Karaj argues that strict rules regarding the diaspora must be established.

“This should not be understood as if those in the diaspora should be considered foreigners, while those within the borders of states — for example, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, North Macedonia, or any other country — should be treated as our people. Why do I say this? Let’s take a hypothetical case: what happens if the number of diaspora voters becomes greater than the number of voters living in a given country — Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, or Serbia? How can a diaspora voter, who spends more than 99 percent of their life outside their country of origin, decide on the economic and social policy of their homeland?” Karaj told Kosovo Online.

He also points out that no one in the Albanian parliament represents the 250,000 diaspora voters.

“Theoretically and practically, no one represents them. They voted, but their votes were counted as votes of residents in Albania, even though they do not live in Albania. One might say they send remittances, but perhaps they don’t, since they are not obliged to. Their only obligation, as holders of Albanian passports, is to pay taxes. But do they pay taxes in the Republic of Albania, in Kosovo, in Serbia, or in North Macedonia? I say no. That is why I say a possible and fair solution must be found so that diaspora voters are aligned with what we expect from them,” he explains.

He highlights the example of Italy, known as a country of emigrants, where seats in parliament are reserved for the diaspora.

“So diaspora voters elect their own representative from the diaspora, and it is precisely that representative who, in the Italian parliament, or in the Albanian parliament, or in Kosovo, defends the rights of the diaspora,” Karaj explains.

He also notes that there are ongoing debates about the technical aspects of diaspora voting — whether it should be conducted by mail, in consulates, or through companies such as DHL, as was the case in Albania.

“In my opinion, the best solution would be voting in the state’s diplomatic missions. A ballot box should be placed there, and every emigrant who feels the responsibility to be a voter and believes their vote has value will have to ‘make the effort’ to go and cast their ballot,” the analyst concludes.