Mayoral Election in Capital Stirs Albanian Opposition Hopes of Comeback

Albanian parties are gearing up for half-a-dozen mayoral races across the country, where the well-oiled political machinery of the ruling Socialists is expected to triumph against an embattled opposition, including in the capital, Tirana. The elections are due on 9 November, the President, Bajram Begaj, announced on Wednesday amid a debate over the legality of the issue. That vacancy was created by the arrest on graft charges of the Mayor, Erion Veliaj, in February. Veliaj is contesting his firing by filing a request to the Constitutional Court. Some maintain that the filing of such a request should have postponed the elections until the court ruling is released. Please login to your account below if you are already a Premium Subscriber. Our Premium Service gives you full access to all content published on BalkanInsight.com, including analyses, investigations, comments, interviews and more. Choose your subscription today and get unparalleled in-depth coverage of the Southern and Eastern Europe. If you have trouble logging in or any other questions regarding you account, please contact us