New ND leader to be elected on Sunday: 4 conservative candidates eye top job

Main opposition conservative New Democracy members will head to the polling booths on Sunday, November 22, to elect their party leader. 781,136 liberal supporters (around a third of the party’s voters) had shown up to vote in the first internal elections held by liberals in November 2009 in relation to the October elections held in that same year. Now, the number of supporters has dropped, meaning that there will be even less of a turnout.

Back in 2009, ND leader and former prime minister Antonis Samaras had claimed victory, gathering 386,400 voters (50.66%), whereas Dora Bakoyannis had received 306,425 votes (39.72%) and Panagiotis Psomiadis received 78,770 votes (22%).

Problems noted included a drop in the electronic voting system for approximately two hours. Organizers said that similar problems will not arise this time due to an improved technical system coupled with the expectation of a lower turnout.

The FOUR candidates

Evangelos Meimarakis – Interim leader of the party when Samaras resigned in July. Well-respected in his party, Meimarakis managed to unite the party before the September elections and held up well against the Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA). He served as defense minister during Konstantinos Karamanlis’ government and is the son of an ex-MP – a true centrist.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis – Known as the “golden boy” of the center-right. He is the son of an ex-PM and heir of a political dynasty. His education is probably the best of all other candidates being a Harvard and Stanford economist with many accolades to his name and years of experience in working in the financial and business sector in Greece and abroad. His big sis, Dora Bakoyannis, has been against him in this candidacy.

Apostolos Tzitzikostas – A regional head, he is currently NOT an MP, and will not be one until 2019. If he wins, he will set a precedent as a leader who is not head of the parliamentary team. ND MPs believe that his youth is an asset, with statements to the affect that he is “the only one young enough and smrt enough to take on Tsipras.”

Adonis Georgiadis – A wild card from the far right who slipped in at the last minute. Before joining the party he was an MP with the extreme right LAOS party but jumped ship. A TV salesman of controversial anti-Semitic books, radical and outspoken with 2-3 media appearances in a single day and a tendency for megalomania. Could he be the next conservative leader? Really?

Voting process

1,290 voting booths have been set up in 883 areas. Catalogues for each area have been posted on the party’s site. There will be 44 voting booths in different European cities.

ND registered party members will have the right to vote at any electoral center regardless of where they live. Their names are in a data base from the last national elections.

Upon arrival at their electoral centers, voters will sign a statement with their data declaring that they support the ideology and principles of the party and espouse the political positions of the New Democracy party. They need to bring police identification, a passport or drivers license and pay a three-euro fee. Once inside, they will be asked to put crosses in a box beside the name of the candidate they prefer.

The party leader will be the ND candidate with the majority of valid ballots of support. If necessary, there will be a second round of elections held on Novemer 29. In that case, the three-euro feel will be waivered. Participants who do not show up for the first round will not have the right to vote in the second round.

Polling booths open around the country at 7 a.m.