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

Albanians in the southwestern town of Himare are to vote Sunday for a new mayor after their previous choice, 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.

Voting started on Sunday with less than 7% of about 23,000 voters casting their ballots in the first two hours, according to the Central Election Commission, the country's governing election body. The process is normal and without any problems so far, it said. Some minor technical issues in some polling stations, with the election documentation, management or voters' identity cards have been reported by local media.

Media also has reported that at least four buses have come from neighboring Greece with locally registered voters. Both rival candidates have...