At stake in this election:

• 140 seats in the People's Assembly (Kuvendi Popullor)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President of the Republic Bamir TOPI
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Sali BERISHA **
• Assembly: Albania has a unicameral People's Assembly (Kuvendi Popullor) with 140 seats.

** The Prime Minister is chosen by the leading party in parliament and is approved by presidential decree.

Description of electoral system:

• The President of the Republic is elected by the People's Assembly to serve a 5-year term.
• In the People's Assembly (Kuvendi Popullor) 140 members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms.***

*** Lists are closed. There are 12 multi-member constituencies corresponding to the country's 12 administrative regions. Within any constituency, parties must meet a threshold of 3%, and pre-election coalitions must meet a threshold of 5%.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Democratic Party / (PD)*
  • Leader: Sali BERISHA
  • Seats won in this election: 68
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Socialist Party / (PSSH)
  • Leader: Fatos NANO
  • Seats won in this election: 65
  • Seats won in last election: 73
• Party: Socialist Movement for Integration / (LSI)***
  • Leader: Ilir META
  • Seats won in this election: 4
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Republican Party / (PR)****
  • Leader: Fatmir MEDIU
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Social Democratic Party / (PSD)
  • Leader: Skender GJINUSHI
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 4
• Party: Union for Human Rights Party / (PBDNJ)
  • Leader: Vangjel DULE
  • Seats won in this election: 2
  • Seats won in last election: 3
• Party: New Democratic Party / (PDR)
  • Leader: Genc POLLO
  • Seats won in this election: 4
  • Seats won in last election: 6
• Party: Agrarian Environmentalist Party (Partia Agrare Ambientalis) / (PAA)
  • Leader: Lufter XHUVELI
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 3
• Party: Democratic Alliance Party / (AD)
  • Leader: Neritan CEKA
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 3
• Party: Legality Movement Party / Partia Lëvizja e Legalitetit (PLL)**********
  • Leader: Ekrem SPAHIU
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: National Front Party / (PBK)***********
  • Leader: Adriatik ALIMADHI
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: Christian Democratic Party / (PDK)
  • Leader: Nard NDOKA
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Social Democracy Party Of Albania / (PDSSh)
  • Leader: Paskal MILO
  • Seats won in this election: 2
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Liberal Union Party / (BLD)
  • Leader: Arjan STAROVA
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Independent(s): Independent
  • Leader: Spiro PECI
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Party for Justice and Integration (PDI) / Partia për Drejtësi dhe Integrim
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Unity for Human Rights Party (PBDNJ) / Partia Bashkimi për të Drejtat e Njeriut
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 1
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Demochristian League (LDK) / Lidhja Demokristiane
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Liberal Democratic Union (BLD) / Bashkimi Liberal Demokrat
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Democratic National Front Party (PBKD) / Partia Balli Kombëtar Demokrat
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Party of New Albanian European Democracy (PDRESh) / Partia Demokracia e Re Europiane Shqiptare
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Macedonian Alliance for European Integration (AMIE) / Aleanca e Maqedonasve për Integrim Evropian
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Alliance for Democracy and Solidarity (ADS) / Aleanca për Demokraci dhe Solidaritet
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Ora of Albania (POSh) / Ora e Shqipërisë
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Forca Albania (PFA) / Partia Forca Albania
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: G99 (G99) / Grupim 99
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Real Socialist Party '91 (PSV '91) / Partia Socialiste e Vërtetë '91
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Movement of Human Rights and Freedoms (LDLNj) / Lëvizja për të Drejtat dhe Liritë e Njeriut
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Green Party (PGj) / Partia e Gjelbër
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Alliance: Party for the Protection of Immigrants' Rights (PMDE) / Parti për Mbrojtjen e të Drejtave të Emigrantëve
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: New Tolerance Party / Partia Tolerancë e Re e Shqipërisë (PTR)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Movement for National Development (LZhK) / Lëvizja për Zhvillim Kombëtar
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Democratic Union Party (PBD) / Partia Bashkimi Demokrat Shqipëtar
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Conservative Party / Partia Konservatore (PKONS)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Democratic Reform Party (PRDSh) / Partia e Reformave Demokratike Shqiptare
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Path of Freedoms Party (PRrL) / Partia Rruga e Lirisë
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Law and Justice Party / Partia Ligj dhe Drejtësi (PLiDr)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 0
  • Seats won in last election: 0

* In the last election, the Democratic Party (PD), the Legality Movement Party (PLL), the Liberal Union Party (PBL), the National Front Party (PBK), and the Republican Party (PR) ran together as a coalition which won 46 seats in the parliament.
*** The Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI) formed from a faction that split from the Socialist Party (PSSH) at the end of 2004.
**** In the last election, the Democratic Party (PD), the Legality Movement Party (PLL), the Liberal Union Party (PBL), the National Front Party (PBK), and the Republican Party (PR) ran together as a coalition, which won 46 seats in the parliament.
********** In the last election, the Democratic Party (PD), the Legality Movement Party (PLL), the Liberal Union Party (PBL), the National Front Party (PBK), and the Republican Party (PR) ran together as a coalition, which won 46 seats in the parliament.
*********** In the last election, the Democratic Party (PD), the Legality Movement Party (PLL), the Liberal Union Party (PBL), the National Front Party (PBK), and the Republican Party (PR) ran together as a coalition, which won 46 seats in the parliament.

Last Parliamentary election:

• This is the first election under closed-list PR, following the controversial repeal of a mixed-member system.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 3,639,453 (July 2009 est.)
• Registered Voters: 2,850,821 (June 2009)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 1,451,096 (2009)

·         Is Albania a signatory to CEDAW: No

·         Has Albania ratified CEDAW: Yes, accession (11 May 1994)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 23 (16.43%) (2009)

·         Human Development Index Position: 85 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: High (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Albania a signatory to CRPD: Yes (22 December 2009)

·         Has Albania ratified CRPD: Yes (11 February 2013)

·         Population with a disability: 545,918 (est.)