Why is this important: The events of January 21 remain one of Albania’s darkest chapters, with justice still unfulfilled for the deaths of four innocent protestors shot by the Guard of the Republic. While the Guard commander and one guardsman were convicted for their roles, no political figures have been held accountable for ordering the violence. SPAK has repeatedly come under criticism for seemingly dragging its feet on this case and on the Gërdec explosion case where Berisha and his son are alleged to be implicated in the killing of 26 people working in an informal ammunition dismantling factory established with their alleged support.

Why is this important: Berisha’s repeated reliance on unverified accusations and sources he claims originate from social media “digital informants” has eroded his credibility as a politician. With SPAK’s official rebuttal of his claims, the leader of Albania’s largest opposition party—who aspires to become Prime Minister in the May 11 elections—has further tarnished his reputation and labeled himself as a source of disinformation.

Why is this important: Dumani’s rebuke comes in the aftermath of similar claims by Berisha and criticism of SPAK’s silence on the issue. The public disclosure of such sensitive information from ongoing investigations has become a source of concern in Albania, with politicians and journalists frequently leaking details from confidential case files. While Dumani’s statement today was interpreted as a veiled threat to Berisha calls have grown for internal investigations within SPAK to identify the sources of these leaks among its officers and prosecutors.

Why is this important: The Electoral Code mandates that candidate lists for parliamentary elections be submitted to the Central Election Commission (CEC) 40 days before the election date. However, international postal service providers have requested more than 40 days to deliver ballot envelopes to voters abroad. To address this, the CEC proposed that political parties submit their candidate lists 60 days prior to the election, allowing sufficient time for ballot printing and distribution to the diaspora.

Why is this important: The Democratic Party has twice come to power, in 1992 and 2005, with similar promises to compensate these two groups, which have historically been among its most loyal supporters. However, disappointment has run deep among these communities over unfulfilled pledges. Although they have been in power for a total of 13 years since 1992 Democrats never kept their promise to these social categories. Former political prisoners who were still alive after 2013 saw 100% of their compensation granted only after the Socialists came to power. The same is trye for the heirs of those no longer living have received most of their dues and continue to be compensated for forced labor during the communist regime. Coming up with the same pledge again, 33 years after the fall of communism when the Democrats led by Berisha assumed power for the first time, risks serving more as the reminder of an unkept promise than an argument for support.