Socialist majority announces candidate for Himara elections
Vlora’s current Prefect, Vangjel Tavo, has been selected as the Socialist Party candidate for the upcoming elections on August 4th in Himara. The SP leadership, convened this morning, approved Tavo’s candidacy and decided to postpone the congress electoral forum meeting from July 20th to July 27th.
Context
Vangjel Tavo is a seasoned politician with a political career spanning several decades. He has been a member of the Albanian Parliament from 1997 until 2021, served as Minister of Health from April 2012 to March 2013 and has held the position of the Vlora District Prefect, since March 13, 2024.
The decision by SP came in the aftermath of the decision by the Central Election Commission to invalidate Fredi Beleri’s mandate on July 5th. However, while the Socialists have formalized their candidate, the opposition is still contesting the date of the partial elections in Himara. According to them, the President decreed the date in breach of the Constitution because he did not wait for the Democratic Party to appeal the decision of the State Election Commissioner to suspend Mayor Fredi Beleri’s within the prescribed legal deadline. According to the opposition, only after the appeals process is completed can the head of state announce the date of the partial elections. However, in response to the accusations, the President clarified that he is obliged by law to announce the election, but this does not hinder the appeals process.
Fredi Beleri’s mandate was invalidated by the Central Election Commission due to his criminal conviction. Albania’s decriminalization law prohibits individuals with a criminal record of running for office or holding public office. Beleri was arrested after being caught in flagrante while buying votes and was sentenced to two years by the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime.
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