Skip to Content Facebook Feature Image

Albania's governing Socialist Party wins mayoral poll in a town with ethnic Greek minority

News

Albania's governing Socialist Party wins mayoral poll in a town with ethnic Greek minority
News

News

Albania's governing Socialist Party wins mayoral poll in a town with ethnic Greek minority

2024-08-05 13:42 Last Updated At:13:51

QEPARO, Albania (AP) — Preliminary results Monday showed Albania's governing Socialist Party candidate Vangjel Tavo won the mayoral election in the southwestern town of Himara after the previous mayor was removed in a case that has sparked tensions with Greece.

Results at the Central Election Commission showed Tavo won 58.62% of Sunday's votes, while 41.38% went to Petraq Gjikuria from the Together We Win 10-party coalition that includes the main opposition’s center-right Democratic Party of former Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the left-wing Freedom Party of former President Ilir Meta.

The early election was held in Himara, 220 kilometers (135 miles) southwest of the capital, Tirana, after the previous mayor, Fredis Beleris was stripped of his title, convicted and imprisoned on vote-buying charges. He and neighboring Greece have claimed his conviction was politically motivated. Albanian officials strongly reject those claims, citing the independence of the judiciary.

Beleris and the two mayoral candidates are members of the local ethnic Greek minority.

The case against Beleris has strained relations between Tirana and Athens, with Greece threatening to hold up Albania’s bid to join the European Union.

Sunday’s preliminary turnout tally was 37.61%, or more than 3% than last year, and the voting was held without any issues according to the CEC.

The Socialists currently dominate the Town Hall’s assembly.

The opposition complained that some 6,000 people were unable to vote due to expired identity cards. During the previous election, the commission allowed people with out-of-date IDs to vote upon the request of some political parties and a decision from the government. This year no such request was filed, according to CEC head Ilirjan Celibashi.

Former Interior Minister Taulant Balla said that despite his call on July 22 for a speedy two-day issuing of IDs, there was no response from Himara voters, especially those living in neighboring Greece.

The voting was held at the culmination of the tourist season with thousands of tourists in areas where the voting took place. Few were aware of the voting that was taking place.

Himara is populated with ethnic Greeks on what has been dubbed the Albanian Riviera, a coastal region with burgeoning tourist development that has been rife with property disputes.

In the aftermath of the fall of Albania’s communist regime in the early 1990s, property that had previously been seized by the state was distributed among residents. But this often led to disputes over ownership claims, and there have been allegations of ethnic bias in land distribution.

Beleris, 51, has claimed the case against him was an attempt by Socialist Party's Prime Minister Edi Rama to retain control of Himara and its potential for lucrative future property development

In June, Beleris was elected to the European Parliament with Greece’s governing conservative party, and was given a five-day leave from prison to attend the parliament’s opening session in Strasbourg.

Follow Llazar Semini on X: https://x.com/lsemini

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, left, poses with Fredis Beleris before their meeting at Maximos Mansion in Athens, Monday July 15, 2024. Beleris, a jailed member of Albania’s ethnic Greek minority — recently elected to the European Parliament with Greece’s governing conservative party — arrived in Athens Monday en route to Strasbourg, after being granted a five-day leave from prison to attend parliament’s opening session. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, left, poses with Fredis Beleris before their meeting at Maximos Mansion in Athens, Monday July 15, 2024. Beleris, a jailed member of Albania’s ethnic Greek minority — recently elected to the European Parliament with Greece’s governing conservative party — arrived in Athens Monday en route to Strasbourg, after being granted a five-day leave from prison to attend parliament’s opening session. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

FILE - Fredis Beleris listens to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during their meeting at Maximos Mansion in Athens, Monday, July 15, 2024. Albanians in the southwestern town of Himara are to vote Sunday for a new mayor after their previous choice, Fredis Beleris, a member of the country's ethnic Greek minority, was stripped of his title, convicted and imprisoned on vote-buying charges in what he and neighboring Greece have claimed was a politically motivated case. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, File)

FILE - Fredis Beleris listens to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during their meeting at Maximos Mansion in Athens, Monday, July 15, 2024. Albanians in the southwestern town of Himara are to vote Sunday for a new mayor after their previous choice, Fredis Beleris, a member of the country's ethnic Greek minority, was stripped of his title, convicted and imprisoned on vote-buying charges in what he and neighboring Greece have claimed was a politically motivated case. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, File)

Albania's governing Socialist Party wins mayoral poll in a town with ethnic Greek minority

Albania's governing Socialist Party wins mayoral poll in a town with ethnic Greek minority

Albania's governing Socialist Party wins mayoral poll in a town with ethnic Greek minority

Albania's governing Socialist Party wins mayoral poll in a town with ethnic Greek minority

Next Article

Everything you need to know about the 2025 Sundance Film Festival

2025-01-23 00:08 Last Updated At:00:11

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — As many in the entertainment industry navigate the devastating effects of the California wildfires, some will soon be decamping to cleaner air in the mountains. The annual Sundance Film Festival begins Thursday in Park City, Utah.

The 41st edition of Robert Redford’s brainchild will, as always, be a year of discovery and discussion. There are timely films:

— “Free Leonard Peltier,” which will premiere just days after former President Joe Biden commuted the sentence of the Indigenous activist nearly half a century after he was imprisoned for the 1975 killings of two FBI agents.

— Oscar-winner Mstyslav Chernov’s“2000 Meters to Andriivka,” a joint production between The Associated Press and Frontline about an attempt to liberate an occupied territory in Ukraine

— Several films about trans rights including “Heightened Scrutiny,” about civil rights lawyer Chase Strangio. It's a topic even more pressing after President Donald Trump signed executive orders Monday rolling back protections for transgender people.

There are even some controversies brewing: “The Stringer,” from documentary filmmaker Bao Nguyen, calls into question who took the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Napalm Girl” photograph. Retired AP photographer Nick Ut and the AP, which conducted a six-month investigation into the allegation, are contesting it vigorously and lawyers have asked for it to be pulled from the program.

“The film is an investigation,” said Eugene Hernandez, the director of the festival, who is moving forward with plans to screen it. “I think it will be a really important conversation that will come out over the next few days after the film is seen by more people.”

Don’t worry, it’s not all heavy. There’s drama of course, even a film about starting over after a fire (“Rebuilding,” with Josh O’Connor), horror, satire, literary adaptations, comedy, documentaries about famous faces, and some that simply defy categorization.

“There’s some really funny stuff in the program,” Hernandez said. One of those Hernandez cited is “Bubble & Squeak,” about a married couple accused of smuggling cabbages into a nation where they’re banned.

For first time filmmakers, Sundance can be their chance to break through in a big way. That happened last year for “Dìdi” filmmaker Sean Wang. Some films that debuted last January are still in the awards conversation, like “A Real Pain” and “A Different Man.” For actors, the festival is both a casual respite to awards season glitz (snow boots are more likely on red carpets than high heels) and can be a chance to show audiences a new dimension of their talent.

“It’s a strong year of renewal for our artist community,” Hernandez said. “And we have a lot of really great voices and stories that we get to unveil in the coming days.”

Here’s everything you need to know:

Sundance runs from Jan. 23 through Feb. 2. There are about 90 features premiering across the 11 days, with screenings starting early in the morning through midnight. Award-winners will be announced on Jan. 31.

Stars with films premiering include Jennifer Lopez, Benedict Cumberbatch, Diego Luna, Conan O’Brien, Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Ayo Edebiri, Olivia Colman, André Holland, Steven Yeun, Mark Ruffalo, Bowen Yang, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Lily Gladstone, Dev Patel, Emily Watson, John Lithgow, Marlee Matlin, John Malkovich, Rose Byrne, Chloë Sevigny, Josh O’Connor, Ben Whishaw, Dylan O’Brien, Lili Reinhart and Willem Dafoe.

One of the greatest things about Sundance is that it’s often the under-the-radar movies that become the breakouts.

But some of the higher-profile premieres going into the festival include: Bill Condon’s “Kiss of the Spider-Woman,” starring Lopez; Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s documentary “SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)”; “Opus,” a horror about the cult of celebrity with Edebiri and John Malkovich; Andrew Ahn’s “The Wedding Banquet,” with Bowen Yang and Kelly Marie Tran; the war satire “Atropia,” with Alia Shawkat; “Pee-wee as Himself,” about the late Paul Reubens; “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore”; and Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman’s doc “The Alabama Solution,” about a cover-up in one of America’s most notorious prison systems.

Festival organizers have been in dialogue with filmmakers, staff, audiences and donors about the effects of the fires, supporting and accommodating where possible including pushing back deadlines to allow filmmakers more time to finish. The festival will also have a QR code displayed before screenings for information on sharing resources or contributing to relief efforts.

“As hard as the last week has been, this will be a moment to come together,” Hernandez said. “The community’s really responding to support those who need it most right now. I think that’s going to be a profound aspect of this year’s festival.”

For the most part, yes. Starting in 2027 the festival will no longer be primarily based in Park City. It may stay in Utah but would operate mainly out of Salt Lake City. Other finalists are Boulder, Colorado, and Cincinnati, Ohio. The Sundance Institute is expected to announce its final decision in the first quarter of 2025.

“Park City as the home of Sundance is such a special place,” Hernandez said. “I look at it optimistically because we have two more exciting years in this current configuration. I think we’re going to make the most of those two years and make them as memorable and meaningful as we can.”

Access to the movies premiering at Sundance doesn’t necessary require an expensive trip to Park City anymore. The festival has fully embraced an online component for many of their films.

What started as a necessary COVID-19 adjustment has become a vital part of the program. From Jan. 30 through Feb. 2, audiences can stream much of the program online. Prices start at $35 for a single film ticket and go up to $800 for unlimited access.

Otherwise, films that secure distribution can take anywhere from a few weeks to over a year to hit theaters or streaming services. Steven Soderbergh's “Presence,” which premiered last January, is just hitting theaters this week.

For more coverage of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival visit: https://apnews.com/hub/sundance-film-festival

The marquee of the Egyptian Theatre is shown Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in Park City, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

The marquee of the Egyptian Theatre is shown Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in Park City, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Recommended Articles
Hot · Posts