The initiative of Stefanos Kasselakis to put the name and ideology of SYRIZA-PS under public consultation was the final straw for the official opposition.
SYRIZA: Kasselakis Referendum on the party’s identity and name
The extreme leadership of the president, who once again announced dramatic developments through social networks, provoked the reactions of even the most patient of the top executives.
17 of the 24 members of the body requested an immediate convening of the Political Secretariat of SYRIZA – PS in a letter to Stefanos Kasselakis, Rania Svigou and George Vasiliadis. Following this, the General Assembly is holding an extraordinary meeting today at 12:00.
The promising calm that the departure of the New Left would bring, proved to be a false hope and thus SYRIZA-PS, counting just a few days before the first conference of Stefanos Kasselakis in the leadership of the party, has been divided into two parts again. In fact, sources report that after the last move of the president, there are resignations of members.
Feedback and support
The first public reaction came from Olga Gerovasili, vice-president of the Parliament and one of the party’s historical leaders.
As she states in her post: “I was very surprised to read on the #iSYRIZA website the initiative of President Stefanos Kasselakis to ask the opinion of the party members on issues related to the structure, name, logo, as well as the political identity of # SYRIZA_PS. Five days before the congress, identifying issues are selected and asked, in the form of a poll questionnaire, which constitute congressional decisions and statutory positions of our party. Key, critical and important issues are not raised in the public sphere since they have not been raised neither in the positions, nor in the public, nor in the intra-party dialogue of the party members.
I would expect, therefore, from the President, before asking on the electronic platform these identity questions about our party to our members, to tell us exactly what he is proposing, that is, what is his own position on the above.
The minimum I am obliged to do after all this, is to immediately request the extraordinary convening of the leading organs of the party, namely the Political Secretariat and the Central Committee, before the convening of the Congress. That is, before this de facto developed into a conference to dissolve the party that Alexis Tsipras brought to govern the country and which he handed over to his successor in the position of official opposition”.
The 17 of the letter and why now
The great interest of this particular letter is its discursive character. At the moment five different groups of thought prevail in SYRIZA-PS, plus that of the president. This is the Tebonera group, the Ragousis – Zachariadis – Theocharopoulos group, the Polaki group, the Pappa group and the informal formation of the old, patient executives.
But what overflowed the glass and we find among the signatories all the aforementioned?
The gradual dominance of Stefanos Kasselakis over the collective party bodies. From the threats first to Pavlos Polakis, who opposed the party line twice – once with marriage for same-sex couples and once when he reacted to the approval of the armaments – and secondly to everyone that “he will raise the issue of an internal referendum, if the Political Secretariat with his proposal” (to move the date when new bodies of Local and Prefectural Committees will be elected).
This systematic underestimation of party processes led Alekos Flambouraris to the point of accusing the president of authoritarianism and withdrawing from the political process last Wednesday.
Immediately after the non-passing of the bill for same-sex couples by Pavlos Polakis and Nina Kasimati, caused many reactions both within the party bodies and within the KO.
In fact, according to information, MPs from the region accused the president that “you dragged us to vote at a political cost, while you don’t punish them”.
The latest move by the president to put the party’s ideology and name to public consultation in the form of poll-type questions, reached the party majority to… amen!
The move was judged as discrediting and undemocratic and the 17 members of the Political Secretariat decided to request a convergence of the institutions. In particular, they signed:
1. ARAPI-BELONI PANAGIOTA
2. GEROVASILI OLGA
3. ZACHARIADIS KOSTAS
4. THEOKHAROPOULOS THANASIS
5. KARKOULIA ZOI
6. KOUVELI MARIA
7. KATERINA NOTOPOULOU
8. XENOGIANNAKOPOULOU MARILIZA
9. PAPPAS NIKOS
10. PAULOS POLAKIS
11. RAGKOUSIS YIANNIS
12. SHORT CLOTH
13. SKORINIS NIKOS
14. SIMEONIDOU ELENI
15. TELIGIORIDOU OLYMPIA
16. TEMBONERAS OF DIONYSIS
17. FLAMPOURARARIS ALEKOS
The letter is not signed by the two secretaries of the party (Rania Svigou, Giorgos Vassiliadis), the head of Foreign Affairs Rena Dourou, the secretary of KO Theodora Tzakri, the secretary of the Central Council of SYRIZA Youth Konstantinos Panagiotopoulos and the journalist of Attica TV, Maggie Doussi.
Why now; Because one breath before the conference, they have made things difficult, with Stefanos Kasselakis deciding and ordering as the absolute leader and not only the future, but also the historical course of SYRIZA-PS are at stake.
Especially with the opinion polls showing the party’s image getting worse and worse, the party seems to be close to the tipping point of final dissolution.
Source:in.gr