Three people were filmed in the Battle of Himarra. OUR Freddy Belerishis cousin and rival George Goros And Edie Rama. The match was tough, the winner was Beleris, who, although he went down to the ballot box with a “goal” from the “dressing room”, that is, his detention by Rama, turned the score over and won the match by “ninety”. With a difference of 19 votes…

Life, which is known to play “games”, in this case is not given to Giorgos Gorosh. The three-time mayor, also of Greek origin, won the mayoral seat in the 2011 election, elected by the Socialist Party, from his cousin Vassilis Bolano by several votes. And now he’s handing over the reins to another cousin, Freddie Belleris.

If for Beleris and his fans the result was – and rightly so – a triumph, then Edi Rama comes out of the match a big loser (?). The political defeat in Himarra overshadowed the dominance of his party’s candidates in general in the territory.

More than anything, Rama seemed to want the political “head” of Beleris, the president of the local branch of Omonia, “to be on the table.” Bellery’s supporters say he saw his election as an obstacle to the uncontrolled advancement of powerful tourist interests, which his critics say serves to expropriate the property of minorities with the ultimate goal of forcing them to flee and eventually de-Hellenizing the mountain regions. Heymarr array.

He kind of “took over” the Heymarr election case, indulging in a relentless pursuit of personal and often offensive attacks against Beleris, who was supported by minority political structures (Omonoya, KEAD) and the parties of Sali Berisha and former president Ilir Meta. It culminated in his arrest and pre-trial detention on the eve of the vote for attempted vote-buying, which everyone in Albania perceived as a methodical act on his part.

Perhaps it was Rama’s political mistake as well. Persecution and especially imprisonment, along with his partner Pantelis Kokavesis, who recently received a heart transplant, provoked an instinctive reaction and rallying of minorities, in whose eyes and soul Beleris became a hero.

Showdown “Vendetta”

Hearing about the arrest, a stream of buses and cars. the number of passengers from Athens with Himarrio immigrants increased dramatically, which increased the momentum in the local community in favor of Beleris.

And those of the small villages that were not going to vote rushed to the ballot boxes to “fight” with the “ginats” of Rama, who gave the confrontation the character of a “vendetta”.

However, the case is not closed for the stubborn and vindictive, as his opponents characterize, politician, who, until the moment of writing these lines, did not react in any way. However, no one else from his government commented on the result. They were clearly weighing the situation and may have been preparing the next steps, which are expected to be manifested mainly through an “independent” judiciary, which Acting Foreign Minister Olta Tsatska demanded that Athens be left alone in order to “do her duty”. .

Freddy Beleris, despite his election, is still in the judicial status of a hostage. Rama copied, drawing analogies, Erdogan’s mentor, who, with the prospect of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s resignation as head of the Turkish opposition in the presidential election, methodically persecuting him in an unrelated case that the prosecutor, also of an “independent” judiciary, kept in a box for the possibility of Imamoglu’s election. He took his popular potential opponent out of the game, as if he were elected, he would court-martial, convict and impeach him. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SPAK) of Tirana, which is involved in the case, will decide whether Beleri’s pre-trial detention will continue or be interrupted. After that, she will consider the accusation on the merits, and it is not known when, if she will, the trial of Beleris. Until then, Beleris will remain on trial and, as such, a politically vulnerable future mayor.

However, the game has now changed in favor of Beleris with his election. The future attitude of representatives of international institutions (Council of Europe, EU, etc.), which have so far kept an equal distance in the Heymarr dispute, is expected with interest.

Candidates of Greek origin, supported by Rama’s party, were solemnly elected in the minority municipalities of Dropoli and Foiniki. However, it was Heymarra who found herself at the center of Greek-Albanian and international interest in general because of the stubbornness of the Albanian leader.

Athens Severe Warning

Vasilis Nedos

“If the situation does not defuse, as Mr. Mitsotakis indicated, Greece will use all means at its disposal to block Albania’s European path. This will have implications not only for Greek-Albanian relations, but also for Tirana’s accession to the European Union, which Greece has supported so far,” government spokesman Akis Skertsos said yesterday, adding that “news from Albania of the victory of Mr. Beleris increases pressure on Tyrana to change her position.” Mr. Skertsos just yesterday stressed that Athens is not going to put up with the violation of the rights of the Greek national minority, practically even vetoing the process of Albania’s accession to the EU. when procedures for it begin normally. Obviously, this is still a long way off, but the government wants the message to Tirana to be as clear as possible.

Socialist victory in 54 municipalities out of 61

Reuters

TIRANA. Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party won a significant victory in Albania’s municipal elections, electing mayors in 54 of the country’s 61 municipalities, including all major urban centers.

Although the counting of votes for municipal council seats continued until yesterday, the margin in favor of the Socialist Party was so large in most districts that a change in the results was considered unlikely.

In addition to the municipalities of Tirana and Durrës assigned to Rama’s party, the socialists also elected a mayor for the first time in Shkodër, the historical stronghold of the right and Sali Berish since the collapse of the communist regime. The Socialist Party also won by a wide margin in the municipalities of Avlon, Kortsa, Fier and Elbasan.

In Tirana, socialist incumbent mayor Erion Veliai received more than 60% of the vote, beating center-right Democratic Party candidate Belin Keliici. In Durrës, Albania’s second most populous city, the Socialist candidate Emiriana Sako won 55% of the vote, defeating Ili Tsar.

The big blow for Sali Berisha’s party was the defeat in municipal elections in Shkodër, a traditional stronghold of the conservative Democratic Party, where Socialist candidate Benet Betsy defeated outgoing mayor Bard Spahia.
In his first statements after the announcement of the results, Berisha refused to accept the calculations of the central electoral commission in the municipality of Kamza in the prefecture of Tirana. “Reliable evidence proves that our defeat there was due to gigantic digital manipulation,” said Sali Berisha.

In recent years, the Socialist Party has become the dominant party formation on the Albanian political scene, gaining power both nationally and locally against an ideologically fragmented opposition. The official opposition, which claimed to vote in the municipal elections along with the Alliance Let’s Win Together, suffered the biggest defeat in the elections, with the exception of the 2019 elections, which it boycotted.

The opposition coalition in the municipal elections included the Democratic Party of Sali Berish, the party of former Prime Minister Ilir Meta, the Greek Minority Party and the Christian Democrats.

Abstinence

In the municipal elections, a negative result of participation was recorded. Only 1.25 million voters exercised their right to vote out of 3.65 million registered voters, representing 35%. However, almost a third of those registered live abroad and cannot return to vote.