Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001478/2024/rev.1
to the Commission
Rule 144
Yannis Maniatis (S&D)
A repeat municipal election was held on 4 August in the ethnic Greek minority town of Himara, in Northern Epirus, after the results of the election on 14 May 2023 were cancelled on spurious grounds, because the minority candidate Fredis Beleris won, beating the ruling party’s favourite.
Yesterday’s elections saw the candidate of the ruling party win, with Omonoia, the party representing the Greek minority, reporting a host of irregularities that were aimed solely at altering the results.
Specifically:
1. Changes were made to the electoral register, with 311 new voters being registered;
2. Voters whose ID cards had expired were not allowed to vote, a condition which had not applied in any previous elections. This change in the voting conditions was announced last minute, essentially denying 6 000 citizens the right to vote;
3. There were incidents of violence and verbal attacks, as well as attempts made by members of the municipal authority and the ruling party to influence voters.
Bearing in mind that Albania is an accession country and that the property rights of the members of the Greek minority in Albania are being threatened by the despotic acts of the central government and the local administration which it controls, can the Commission answer the following:
- 1.Will it examine the complaints put forward by Omonoia concerning the irregularities in yesterday’s municipal elections?
- 2.What could it do to help protect the property rights of the Greek ethnic minority in Albania in an effective manner?
Submitted: 5.8.2024
