With phrases like “the continuation of the democratic SYRIZA” “the man at the center of politics” “we are writing history, we are changing the political scene” Stefanos Kasselakis announced the creation of a new party, a popular progressive party, as he described it.
“You will decide its name, since you are the owners and the president is your servant,” said Mr. Kasselakis, addressing the people who had gathered outside his offices, in Tavros. The message that SYRIZA is and will remain strong was sent by the candidate leaders.
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This was followed by an announcement by SYRIZA on the conclusion of the conference, in which it is pointed out that “the MPs who nominated and were elected with SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, are not meant to become independent without surrendering their seat to the party and much more, they have not no political and moral legitimization to undermine the position of the official opposition”.
“There is no sense of independence of MPs without handing over their seat to the party”
The SYRIZA statement also points out that “the real intentions of Stefanos Kasselakis were fully revealed, who, after failing to prevent the start of the congress, left without even seeking to participate in the vote, thus admitting that he did not have the majority of the congressmen with his part. After all, the announcement of his new party, just a few minutes after the start of the work of the Congress, amply proves that his planning and preparation had been going on for the entire previous period, even though he hypocritically denied it. All Stefanos Kasselakis did yesterday was a communication show outside the Conference venue with continuous false statements and provocations that all fell flat. Because in Democracy there are rules and Stefanos Kasselakis cannot accept these rules. Everything that happened yesterday with the thumping and the verbal and not only attacks have nothing to do with the Left and the progressive space, just as he himself has nothing to do with it, as it turned out.”
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The unacceptable images of pushing, arguing and even fainting last night at the SYRIZA conference came to seal the party’s new split, the third in the last year and a half.
St. Kasselakis: We will not be a democratic party of the elites, but a popular progressive party
Hundreds of supporters welcomed Stefanos Kasselakis with warm applause and to the sounds of bella ciao, but also of “Spring” by Sofia Vossou.
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Accompanied by his husband Tyler Macbeth, and surrounded by SYRIZA MPs, such as Theodora Tzakri, but also others who have declared their intention to become independent, such as Kyriaki Malama, Rallia Christidou and Alexandros Avlonitis, he announced the creation of a movement of members and not the government officials.
Yesterday we had a dilemma, do we legitimize this process and with our silence make it legal, right or should we speak? Indeed, silence is not tolerance, it is complicity. The Left is a way of life, not a way to live. We wish them the best of luck. Let them do what they want, everyone will be judged. We do not live in an anti-democratic party.
Present at the announcement of the foundation of the movement were former MPs such as Olympia Teligioridou and Panagiotis Kouroumplis. As for his name, that will be decided by the base, as Stefanos Kasselakis said.
At the same time in Gazi
From the SYRIZA conference, the first response to the Kasselakis party came through the mouths of the 4 presidential candidates. At the same time, they also sent messages to his companions who are preparing to leave for Taurus.
Sokratis Famellos: “I heard a KO member going to Tavros saying that SYRIZA is finished. They laughed at you, SYRIZA is here, the Left is here,” he stressed, accusing the Kasselakis side of subsequently being “victimized” in a “trump” way. “This plan was prepared outside of SYRIZA and is supported by the entanglement,” he said, while announcing to the MPs who left that they will not go to the “Kasselakis party but will provide services to Androulakis and the entanglement.”
Pavlos Polakis: I wish good luck to Mr. Kasselakis. His attempt to mutate SYRIZA did not work. His attempt to smear people didn’t work. SYRIZA has a big hug and in the democratic invitation to overthrow the Mitsotakis government, everyone has a place”.
Nikos Farandouris: Those who are on strike plan to dissolve SYRIZA will be disappointed. Those who have taken preparatory actions, let them be reminded that history does not forgive those who undermine parliamentary institutions and their parties.
Rep. Gletsos: “Kasselakis has reached the last step of his humiliation. The stigma will remain with us, because we took him and made him our leader, but we will quickly try to throw it away from us.”
In the meantime, Petros Pappas was the first to open the dance of independences. MP Kilkis, in a letter to the Speaker of the Parliament this morning, announced his decision to withdraw from the SYRIZA Parliamentary Group.
The third split of SYRIZA in 15 months – Scene with fainting, handshakes and wrestling grips
The episodic “divorce” was signed inside and outside the conference hall, on the music stage, on the Sacred Way. It was preceded by tensions, pushes and slogans about the procedures, such as: “How will I get in?” I did 500 km from Thessaloniki! Has this never happened before, conference on the road? Most are unaccredited. I come from Heraklion, Crete, I have been elected and no sms has arrived yet!
The supporters of the Kasselaki side arrived in buses at the venue.
The former president of SYRIZA appeared twice at the venue and, amid slogans, spoke of “VIPs and plebs” and retired to Tavros to build his own party.
There was no lack of fainting, fistfights and wrestling holds from the scene. The situation seemed to be getting out of hand. Top executives were attacked.
The conference starts three hours late. The chairman Yiannis Mazouranis sets the scene in a strict tone
“Democracy is like love, it is not imposed, it is earned and that happens when it operates with two fundamental principles and that happens when we agree to disagree and when the rights of the minority are respected.”
The conference president’s announcement that there would be only two topics of discussion, the four presidential nominations and the political decision, sparked strong reactions.
Comrades, democracy means dialogue, but also listening and not shouting, Rania Svigou called.
And while Nikos Pappas was on the podium in a high-toned speech, Theodora Tzakri went on stage and submitted a stick which allegedly includes around 2,000 signatures of congressmen, provoking the reaction of the presidency.
“In all congresses, the majority and the minority are determined by votes! Not with collections of signatures!”, emphasized Yiannis Mazouranis.
“I did not expect that the moment would come when I would be on the floor of a conference and be forced to call on the body to protect our party from organized thuggery. Let there be an end to the misery tonight”, called Nikos Pappas.
Shortly before midnight, Stefanos Kasselakis announces his departure from SYRIZA and makes an appointment with Tavros for announcements,
“It’s not about apostasy, it’s about the continuity of the democratic Left in our country”
Earlier, the MP Alexandros Avlonitis had announced his independence from SYRIZA, while Petros Pappas and other officials denounced the proceedings.
The glass between the two sides had already been broken since the day the Central Committee voted on the motion of censure against Kasselakis
The countdown had started the day after the European elections. Not a day went by without a small or large episode being recorded among the “87” who had become 100. The extrajudicial trial followed, the exclusion of the former president from the presidential race, the complaint of false ties and a series of events that confirmed that divorce was just a matter of time.
Source: www.zougla.gr
