President of the Republic, Bajram Begaj will receive Wednesday at 18:00 in his institution the head of the Democratic Party's (DP) parliamentary group, Enkelejd Alibeaj, who has been invited to propose the date that he considers suitable for holding 2023 local elections. 

On Thursday, the head of state will meet with representatives of the Party for Justice, Integration and Unity (PDIU) to discuss the same issue, while on the same day, at 09:00, the head of the parliamentary group of the Socialist Party, Taulant Balla, will also go to the Presidency. This will also be the last meeting in the consultations that the head of state will make with the leaders of the political parties, before decreeing the date for holding the local elections in 2023. 

However, this is the first time President Bajram Begaj will decree an election date. What the Electoral Code provides According to the Constitution and the Electoral Code, President Bajram Begaj has until October 27 to decree the date when the local elections will be held. Any date set after this date is void. 

According to the Electoral Code, local elections can be held from April 15 to May 15. May 14 is Sunday, the deadline and the last chance. Specifically, according to Article 9 of the Code "The date of elections for local government bodies is determined by decree from the President of the Republic". 

For setting the date of elections for local government bodies, the President applies the rules provided in points 3 and 4 of Article 9 of this Code". But for setting the date of the elections, Article 9, point 3, determines that: "Between the date of the elections and the date of the end of the mandate of the Assembly, there must be a difference of at least 30 days. If the difference is less than 30 days, then the date of the elections is brought closer by as many weeks as are needed to fulfill the condition according to this point, regardless of whether the date of the elections falls before the beginning of the election period". 

Article 8 of the Electoral Code, which deals precisely with the time periods when the elections are held, specifies that: "General elections for the Assembly or for local government units are held simultaneously throughout the country within the period that extends from April 15 to May 15 or from October 15 to November 15. Exceptions to this rule are the cases provided for in points 5, 6, 7 and 8 of Article 9 of this law". Regarding the voting schedule, Article 11, point 1, states that "When the election date is set in the election period from April 15 to May 15, the polling stations open at 70:00 and close at 19:00". 

As for the organization and smooth running of the election process, it is the responsibility of the CEC. Article 12, point 1, of the Electoral Code, clearly defines that: "The Central Election Commission is the institution responsible for the organization and administration of elections and referendums, which directs and supervises the activity of the electoral administration, monitors the activity of electoral subjects, bodies and institutions of the state and media in relation to the elections, as well as resolve administratively requests or complaints related to the election process". 

On the other hand, point 1 of Article 109 of the Constitution stipulates that: "The representative bodies of the basic local government units are the councils, which are elected every four years by general, direct and secret ballot elections." Point 2 of it states that: "The executive body of the municipality or commune is the mayor, who is directly elected by the people". 

Regardless, President Begaj started consultations with political parties yesterday before setting the date for holding the 2023 local elections. 

He received in a meeting in the presidency chairmen and representatives of several opposition parties with whom he discussed and got acquainted with their proposals for holding local elections next spring. 

The consultancy started one day after the meeting that President Begaj held with Prime Minister Edi Rama in the Presidency. Both sides did not release any media announcements regarding the topics of conversation in the first meeting between them since Begaj took office. 

Yesterday's developments showed that the main topic of conversation in the meeting for more than 30 minutes one-on-one was precisely the date of the local elections. A day after the meeting, Begaj immediately set in motion and yesterday morning he received the chairman of the Freedom Party, Ilir Meta, the DP's MP, Oerd Bylykbashi, the chairmen of the allied parties of the DP, Fatmir Mediu of the Republican Party, Agron Duka of PAA, Vangjel Dule of PBDNJ and the head of LZHK, Dashamir Shehi.