| Country: | Albania |
| Previous Election: | 1997 |
| Next Election: | 2005 |
| Seats For Election: | All 140 seats in the Parliament of Albania |
| Majority Seats: | 71 |
| Turnout: | 53.62% (18.94pp) |
| Election Date: | 24 June 2001 (first round) 8 July 2001 (second round) |
| Party1: | Socialist Party of Albania |
| Percentage1: | 41.44 |
| Seats1: | 73 |
| Last Election1: | 100 |
| Party2: | Union for Victory Coalition |
| Percentage2: | 36.89 |
| Seats2: | 46 |
| Last Election2: | 31 |
| Party3: | New Democratic Party (Albania) |
| Percentage3: | 5.09 |
| Seats3: | 6 |
| Last Election3: | new |
| Party4: | Social Democratic Party of Albania |
| Percentage4: | 3.65 |
| Seats4: | 4 |
| Last Election4: | 9 |
| Party5: | Unity for Human Rights Party |
| Percentage5: | 2.60 |
| Seats5: | 3 |
| Last Election5: | 4 |
| Party6: | Democratic Alliance Party (Albania) |
| Percentage6: | 2.56 |
| Seats6: | 3 |
| Last Election6: | 2 |
| Party7: | Agrarian Party of Albania |
| Percentage7: | 2.56 |
| Seats7: | 3 |
| Last Election7: | 1 |
| Party8: | Independents |
| Leader8: | – |
| Seats8: | 2 |
| Last Election8: | 3 |
| Prime Minister | |
| Posttitle: | Elected Prime Minister |
| Before Election: | Ilir Meta |
| Before Party: | Socialist Party of Albania |
| After Election: | Ilir Meta |
| After Party: | Socialist Party of Albania |
Parliamentary elections were held in Albania on 24 June 2001.[1] The result was a victory for the ruling Socialist Party of Albania, which won 73 of the 140 seats, resulting in Ilir Meta remaining Prime Minister. Voter turnout was 54%.[2]
The Assembly of Albania has 140 members of whom 100 are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies and 40 members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system.[3]
President Rexhep Meidani announced on 18 April 2001 that the first round of the elections would be held on 24 June, with the second round on 8 July.[4] The governing Socialist Party had the aim of gaining 60% of the vote, in order to have a sufficient majority to elect a new president in 2002. They campaigned on infrastructure improvements such as communication and transport and on their record in restoring order and economic growth.[5] They were also boosted by achieving the opening of negotiations with the European Union on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement just before the election.[6]
The main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Albania led by ex-President Sali Berisha, had moderated their message after losing the 2000 local elections. They formed a coalition of right wing parties, the Union for Victory Coalition, and said that they were open to dealing with other parties if they won the election.[6] They hoped to make gains due to public concern over corruption and the continuing poverty in Albania.[5]
The campaign was generally peaceful and with no reliable opinion polls most observers expected the ruling Socialists to be re-elected with a smaller majority.[7]
Both main parties initially claimed victory after the first round on the 24 June in which turnout reached about 60%. The governing Socialist party claimed that they won 45 of the 100 seats.[8] Monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) described the election as having made progress towards international democratic standards.[5] However the opposition Democratic party claimed there was widespread intimidation and electoral fraud.[8] Procedural differences led to polling stations being kept closed in Lushnje leading to voting having to be delayed for about 30,000 people.[9] The results of the first round showed that the Socialists won 33 seats as against 17 won by the Democrats.[10]
A run-off vote to decide the winner in 51 districts where no candidate won over half the vote in the first round was held on 8 July. Another 40 seats were decided in proportion to the share of the vote each party won.[11]
The constitutional court ruled that voting had to be repeated in eight districts on 22 July and a further two on 29 July.[12] International observers described the elections as a whole as having been free and fair.[13] However the opposition Democrats said they would not accept the results. They described the election as a farce and started a boycott of Parliament.[13] The boycott lasted for six months until January 2002 when Sali Berisha announced that his party was returning to Parliament.[14]