Albanian president cancels vote; PM wants him gone

Albanian President Ilir Meta arrives for a news conference in Tirana, Albania June 10, 2019. REUTERS/Florion Goga

TIRANA (Reuters) - Albanian President Ilir Meta called off local elections set for June 30, but the government accused him of breaking the law and declared he should be thrown out of office.

Opposition parties were boycotting the elections, charging the government won an election in 2017 by buying votes with the help of criminal gangs. The opposition parties cut ties with parliament in mid-February and gave up their seats.