CEC terminates Fredi Beleri’s mandate as Mayor of Himara
On Friday, the Central Election Commission ruled to terminate Fredi Beleri’s mandate as Mayor of Himara. Mr. Beleri had been granted special permission to attend the meeting and was escorted to the CEC by police.
Context
Beleri was arrested in flagrante on May 12, 2023, two days before the local elections, while buying votes to support his candidacy for the municipality of Himara, where he ran as part of the opposition coalition. Despite his arrest, he narrowly won the elections on May 14.
The judicial process against him lasted for 13 months, during which time, following a decision by the Special Structure against Corruption and Organized Crime confirmed by the courts, he was not allowed to swear in as mayor, even though he had received the mandate from the Central Election Commission. He was eventually found guilty and sentenced to two years by the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime, with the guilty verdict and sentence upheld on June 25, 2024, by the Special Court of Appeals against Corruption and Organized Crime.
Mr. Beleri and his lawyers argued that the Central Election Commission was not the competent authority to decide on his mandate, insisting that local self-government laws, which provide for dismissal by the Prime Minister in cases of court convictions, should apply. However, the Central Election Commissioner explained that it was within their jurisdiction to terminate the mandate based on the decriminalization law. This law stipulates that individuals convicted of crimes and whose appeals have been exhausted cannot serve in public positions.
Also present in the room was the leader of the Union for Human Rights Party, representing the Greek minority, Vangjel Dule. He claimed that the rush to remove Fredi Beleri’s mandate was driven by Prime Minister Edi Rama, who seeks to control the Himara municipality.
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