Blerina Bala appointed acting Himare mayor
The municipal council of Himare in southern Albania appointed Blerina Bala as the new acting mayor of the town on Friday, following the detention of Jorgo Goro.
Goro, affiliated with the ruling Socialist Party, was arrested last week on charges of alleged abuse of office, which he denies.
Bala’s term is expected to be transitional, as Prime Minister Edi Rama had pledged to hold new municipal elections in the region after the prosecution of Fredi Beleri, the ethnic Greek candidate who won the last local election, concluded. Beleri was recently sentenced to two years in prison for electoral fraud.
The situation has ignited diplomatic tensions with Greece, leading to threats of blocking Albania’s EU membership aspirations.
On Friday, a group of Beleri’s supporters gathered in front of the town hall, heavily guarded by the police, demanding the appointment of a mayor from Beleri’s faction.
