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Elections in Himarë / ISP releases statistics 2000-2024, their importance and expectations

2024-08-01 17:06:00, Aktualitet CNA

Elections in Himarë / ISP releases statistics 2000-2024, their importance

The Institute of Political Studies (ISP) has made a report on the local elections in Himare, where it has released the statistics for the last 24 years.

This report was triggered by the August 4 elections, where the mayor of Himare is voted for, after the court decision that convicted the former elected mayor of this municipality, Alfred Beleri, for electoral corruption.

ISP says that this municipality has become a "hot potato" because of the Beler case, but also claims that oligarchs and key officials have interests in tourism investments.

"This municipality does not occupy an important position in the hierarchy and structure of local government in Albania, but due to the claims and political debate between Albania and Greece, as well as the strategic interest of some of the oligarchs and leading officials in the country for tourism investments, the municipality has acquired special value and the developments there have a double interest.

In the last local elections (2023), the winning candidate was arrested 48 hours before the vote, becoming the only candidate in the history of Albanian elections to be elected mayor while in prison. The process against Beler became complicated when the government decided to appoint as acting the mayor who lost the election, an important local political figure of the Socialist Party, - an act that contradicts democratic principles, according to which the losing candidate could not even be management beyond the legal mandate. His leadership continued until the incumbent was arrested for corruption by SPAK and is now in the trial process. After him, the SP appointed two other mayors (acting), one of whom resigned, the other continues his duties, but at the same time being in the process of investigation for corruption by SPAK.

On the other hand, the winning candidate Alfred Beleri was not allowed to take the oath nor to participate in the activities following the election of the mayor, a practice that the same administrative system (DPB) did not apply in the case when the same person was elected deputy in the European Parliament on behalf of the "New Democracy" in Greece. He was allowed to travel to the inaugural session in Strasbourg, while he was not allowed to participate in any of the sessions, including the inaugural one in Himara. A candidate with a critical record and in contrast to decriminalization, forbidden by the CEC in another election process to run, but in 2023 allowed by a new CEC, - Beleri became part of the game and the short-term political crisis between Albania and Greece, while the perception was rightfully created that there were violations of human rights against him. The process against him took more than a year, applying the most extreme legal measures, already convicted, the CEC decided to remove his mandate", says the Institute of Political Studies.

Further, ISP dwells on the history of the elections in Himare is specific and the relationship between political parties.

Elections in Himarë / ISP releases statistics 2000-2024, their importance

According to the Institute, regardless of the result, the debate will not end with the elections.

"Referring to the data processed by the Institute of Political Studies (ISP), since 2000 the elections there have been mainly the product of political relations between the SP and DP. In 2000 the two parties united against candidate Bollano, a local extremist figure, defeating him by a landslide. However, in 2003 and 2007 the same candidate, Bollano, already with the support of the SP and then the DP, secured leadership mandates. After him was Jorgo Goro (SP), the candidate with the most electoral contests in this municipality, who secured three consecutive mandates, the last one (2019) without rival candidates, being alone on the ballot. All four leaders from 2000-2024 (Mato, Bollano, Goro and Beleri) have been arrested, investigated or convicted for various criminal offenses (corruption or other criminal offences), a record number for running a municipality in Albania.

Currently, the elections are between two main political blocs, with "imported" candidates, Tavo from Gjirokastra (PS+) and Gjikuria from the USA (PD+). Albania does not have a local system like most Eastern European countries, where the vacant position of the mayor is exercised by the most voted councilor of his respective party, but in any case we apply new elections, which have a high financial cost and in most cases they receive maximum political attention and lead to political debates for the country.

However, the August 4th elections, the only ones for several decades in Albania at the peak of the tourist season, have symbolic value, mainly to test Albania's ability for elections, the local interest in participation and the maturity of the parties for the return to normality of one of the most important municipalities. attractive in terms of tourist potential. Regardless of the result, the elections are not expected to end the debate and misuse (inside and abroad), which are in the interest of the parties to continue at least until after the parliamentary elections of 2025, while it remains obvious that the implementation of the concepts of good governance, transparency and accountability in this municipality will require a much longer period of time", underlines ISP./ CNA