The institution of free and fair elections is one of the fundamental criteria of democracy. In order to fulfil this criterion it is vital to choose an electoral system that serves two main principles: the guarantee of a representation that is as proportional as possible on the one hand and a stable government on the other. An electoral system that embodies these to criteria in a balanced way is likely to contribute considerably in the democratization process of the country and on the government stability. Therefore the decision on the choice of the electoral system is one of the most important for a country that is seeking to build democracy. However, while in the established democracies the electoral systems constitute one of the most conservative elements in Albania the electoral system has been subject to changes and modifications after all the elections held since 1991, although to various degrees. By observing this trend this paper examines the electoral systems applied in Albania along with the motives and circumstances in which such changes have occurred , and analyses the effects that such changes have produced to the electoral behaviour of the political parties, and broader the party system, the representation of the political parties in the parliament and the government formation.

The paper in Albanian language can be downloaded here: PDF