Tirana – June 29 (AENews) – International observers called Thursday to stop exit polls on Election Day. The Chief of international observers OSCE/Odhir Jurgen Grunnet said that all televisions who have scheduled to publish the results of exit polls after the voting centers closing need to rethink about this.

“Surveys can measure only that moment, and not predict exactly the election results”, Mr. Grunet said.

Two major Albanian televisions stations, Top Channel and TV Klan, had announced that have hired different companies to conduct exit polls, for the first time in Albanian elections. Analysts, however, worry that these polls may be used to legitimate election manipulations.

This concern is fostered also by the differing results of different opinion polls published in past days. According to poll results by a local company named Index Albania and those by a Bulgarian company named BBSS, the Socialist and Democratic Party results are very close. Both of these companies are member of Gallup International and have presented their results under the Gallup International name.

According to results from another opinion poll, which was conducted by an unknown NGO, the opposition is expected to win elections in the capital of Albania, Tirana. Many experts, however, think that both poll results are not very professional, and may be used as a justification for irregularities.

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