The Central Election Commission has decided that Socialist mayor of Mat Agron Malaj has not violated the decriminalization law and should stay in office.
The ruling comes after the prosecution confirmed last week that Malaj had been sentenced to 10 months in prison for “illegal possession of weapons” in 1999.
The mayor had declared the sentence on his decriminalisation form, after which he was allowed to run, and subsequently win in the single party local elections on June 30.
The opposition Democratic Party denounced the case in January, and asked the prosecution to investigate the mayor.
The prosecution stated that removing Malaj from his post after this confirmation was up to the Central Election Commission.
Malaj was the fifth Socialist mayor accused of not complying with the decriminalization form. The previous four mayors were accused of hiding their criminal past.
