Albanian authorities strip ethnic Greek mayor of his post for alleged vote buying
Associated PressTIRANA, Albania — Albanian election authorities on Friday stripped an ethnic Greek minority mayor of his post after he was imprisoned on charges of vote-buying in municipal elections last year. In response to Friday’s decision, the Greek foreign ministry issued a statement saying Beleris’ case “raises several questions concerning fundamental principles of the rule of law” in Albania. Beleris belongs to the Human Rights Union Party of the ethnic Greek minority, but in last year’s municipal vote he was the candidate for a coalition that also included the center-left Freedom Party of former President Ilir Meta and a breakaway group from the center-right opposition Democratic Party of former Prime Minister and President Sali Berisha. Beleris, who has dual citizenship, also won a Greek seat in the European Parliament representing the governing conservative New Democracy party in European Union elections last month.
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