TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albanians have started to cast ballots to elect mayors and city councils, or parliaments, amid a tense political conflict with the opposition boycotting the municipal elections.

Votes will be cast Sunday to pick authorities that will run 61 districts across the country for the next four years.

While the Socialist-run government is insisting on holding the election, the opposition says it will stop it taking place. Albania's President Ilir Meta is sympathetic to the opposition and declared that the vote is canceled, but the government under Prime Minister Edi Rama has refused to abide by that decision.

Voting starts at 0500 GMT and ends 1700 GMT. Preliminary election results are not expected until Monday.

The opposition blames a corrupt government linked to organized crime and asks for fresh national elections.