Greece calls on Albania to address election integrity concerns
Greek officials are pressing Albania to address concerns about the integrity of Sunday’s local elections in the southwestern town of Himare.
Freddi Beleri, the town’s previously elected mayor and a member of the ethnic Greek minority, was removed from office, convicted of vote-buying, and jailed. Both he and Greece have alleged that the case was politically motivated.
Opposition groups reported that some 6,000 voters were unable to cast ballots on Sunday because their IDs had expired, a situation exacerbated by the lack of provisions for extending IDs, unlike in previous elections.
“Claims by the Greek minority about manipulation of the voter list and denial of the right to vote due to expired ID cards raise serious doubts about the process,” sources told Skai TV. They added, “Democratic principles and European standards require the Albanian authorities to address these concerns.”
In the election, Albania’s ruling Socialist Party candidate Vangjel Tavo won with 58.62% of the vote, while Petraq Gjikuria received 41.38%. The counting began shortly after midnight in the presence of both candidates. Tavo thanked Prime Minister Edi Rama and invited Gjikuria to serve as deputy mayor.
Beleri has accused Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama of rigging the election by preventing holders of old ID cards from voting.
