Albanians vote for new mayor of ethnic Greek town in a case that has sparked tensions with Athens

Associated Press

QEPARO, Albania (AP) — Albanians in the southwestern town of Himara are voting for a new mayor Sunday after their previous choice was convicted and imprisoned on vote-buying charges. The case against Fredis Beleris, a dual Albanian-Greek national who was elected to the European Parliament with Greece’s governing conservative party in June, has strained relations between Tirana and Athens, with Greece threatening to hold up Albania’s bid to join the European Union. Both candidates in Sunday’s election — governing Socialist Party candidate Vangiel Tavo and Together We Win coalition’s Petraq Gjikuria — are members of the local ethnic Greek community.