Edi

The mayoral elections in Himare, southern Albania, to replace the jailed ethnic Greek Fredi Beleri were reportedly marred by influence that the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama seems to have used to back its chosen candidate, Vangjel Tavo.

Fredi Beleris has gone on the offensive.

Late last week Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama was in the ethnic Greek town of Himare, where he announced the restitution of some 400 titles to homes in the area to residents who have been suing the Albanian state for more than 30 years.

In what was seen purely as a public relations stunt, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama visited the ethnic Greek town of Himare on Friday to announce the restitution of some 400 titles to houses in the area to residents who have been suing the Albanian state for more than 30 years.

The reality will come crashing down on Skopje’s nationalists, remarked Dora Bakoyannis, Kasselakis and the concepts of foreign policy, her message to Edi Rama

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama addressed a gathering of Albanian migrants, party members and supporters in Athens in the indoor arena of Galatsi under stringent security measures.

Attendees began arriving early Sunday morning. Rama posted on Facebook showcasing the event in Athens.

“Today, Edi Rama realized more than ever that I ask my questions without being influenced by anyone”

This week an Albanian court sentenced Fredi Beleri, the imprisoned mayor-elect of Himare, to 2 years in prison. Beleri slammed the trial and the court's decision as a "sham". This case is about much more than one individual, however, touching on deeper issues in Greek-Albanian relations.

A mayor from Albania's Greek minority who was sentenced to two years in prison on Tuesday for buying votes, described the judicial proceedings as a "sham trial."

Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis has defended Greece's stance on the case of Fredi Beleri, the ethnic Greek mayor-elect in the southern Albanian town of Himare, who has been in pre-trial detention since May on vote-buying charges.