Preliminary results from the Central Election Commission revealed that Vangjel Tavo, the candidate from Albania's governing Socialist Party, emerged victorious in the mayoral election in the southwestern town of Himara. Tavo secured 58.62% of the votes, while Petraq Gjikuria from the Together We Win 10-party coalition received 41.38%.
The election was necessitated by the removal of the previous mayor, Fredis Beleris, who was convicted and imprisoned on vote-buying charges. Beleris, along with the two mayoral candidates, belongs to the local ethnic Greek minority. The case against Beleris has led to strained relations between Albania and Greece, with the latter threatening to impede Albania's EU accession process.
