TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania's top legal election institution has decided in favor of holding Sunday's municipal polls, turning down a move from the country's president to cancel them.

The five-judge Electoral College voted unanimously that a small political party, which asked to deregister based on President Ilir Meta's action, must take part in Sunday's election.

Earlier this month, Meta said he was canceling local elections, fearing the balloting would be "undemocratic" without the center-right opposition parties that have boycotted it.

The 140-seat parliament has started a lengthy procedure to oust Meta for allegedly violating the constitution, though the Socialists don't have the 94 votes that would need.

The opposition has led protests since mid-February, accusing the government of links to organized crime and demanding a new general election.