Senator Sam Brownback, Chairman
Rep. Christopher H. Smith, Co-Chairman
For Immediate Release

www.csce.gov
March 15, 2005

ALBANIA'S EFFORTS TO MEET OSCE ELECTION STANDARDS FOCUS OF HELSINKI COMMISSION BRIEFING

(Washington) - The United States Helsinki Commission will hold a briefing to review Albania’s preparatory efforts and the prospects for free and fair parliamentary elections scheduled for this summer.

Albania’s 2005 Parliamentary Elections:
How Free and Fair Will They Be?
Monday, March 21, 2005
3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
2212 Rayburn House Office Building

Panelists:

Nikolai Vulchanov, Deputy of Election Department, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR)
Dickson Bailey, Project Director for Albania, IFES
Jennifer Butz, Resident Director for Albania, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Nesti Gjeluci, Assistant Program Officer, International Republican Institute (IRI)

A transcript will be available on the Helsinki Commission's web site at www.csce.gov within 24 hours of the briefing.

The United States Helsinki Commission, an independent federal agency, by law monitors and encourages progress in implementing provisions of the Helsinki Accords. The Commission, created in 1976, is composed of nine Senators, nine Representatives and one official each from the Departments of State, Defense and Commerce.

Media Contact: Sean Woo
202.225.1901

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