Belleri remains imprisoned, and it is not clear if he will take over as mayor or if another round of municipal elections will take place.
Greek minority candidate Freddy Belleri, who was arrested on vote-buying charges, won the mayoral election of Himare, Albania, but by a narrow margin.
Albanian police arrested Dionysius Alfred Pelleri when he was alleged to have offered about 40,000 Albanian leks (360 euros) to buy eight votes in the municipal elections. Another person was arrested on the same charges, as the Saturday court confirmed that they would remain in detention.
Pelleri was able to win by only 19 votes the southern Himari municipal elections, a town with a large presence of the Greek minority. Peliri belongs to the Union for Human Rights party representing the Greek ethnic minority, and ran in the elections as part of an opposition coalition.
Pileri’s arrest reignited tensions between Tirana and Athens over issues of minority rights and the large Greek community in Albania, with the Greek Foreign Ministry calling for Pileri’s immediate release, hinting that the case could negatively affect Albania’s application to join the European Union.
Greece’s position prompted Albanian Foreign Minister Olta Shaka to respond angrily to Athens’ statements, noting that “it is almost impossible to understand how our friends have the right to challenge a court decision in our country.”
“The definitive proof they were looking for could not have been more difficult,” Shaka added. “Bileri was caught engaging in criminal activity against free and fair elections.” “We do not understand how being Greek exempts him from the law as an Albanian citizen and we urge our Greek friends to refrain from making statements that do not respect the independent institutions of our country,” the minister said.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he was “very pleased” to hear of Peleri’s victory, during a campaign stop in Athens ahead of Greece’s general elections next weekend. Mitsotakis also expressed his hope that “this incident will end soon,” adding that Albania’s path to Europe passes by respecting the rights of the Greek national minority.
Belleri remains imprisoned, and it is not clear if he will take over as mayor or if another round of municipal elections will take place.
