SYRIZA: The 87 are determined to put Kasselakis out of the race – Set of events

Day of decisions for the unity and perspective of Syriza Progressive Alliance today is proving to be the day, as it meets at 12:30 noon the party’s Central Committee and while the sides of the deposed President, Stefanos Kasselakis and the new majority of Koumoundourou are now in open rupture, with the symbiosis between them seeming unviable.

This is because Stefanos Kasselakis’ move to send a letter of apology to members of the Political Secretariat and the Central Committee earlier this week triggered a domino effect of intra-party developments, consultations and meetings, culminating in yesterday’s Political Secretariat meeting, which met to set the framework for today’s Central Committee meeting.

Asphere, before the… storm

Specifically, most members of the Political Secretariat voted in favor of a motion by party secretary Rania Svigou, which reportedly politically condemned the out-of-court letter from Mr. Kasselakis’s letter to the party, as well as his general disrespect for the party’s collective decisions, without, however, explicitly stating what measures such political behaviour entails.

This… “creative ambiguity” on the part of the governing body, however, resulted in the withdrawal of Mr. Kasselakis late last night, in a post on social media, saying that “I withdraw my out-of-court protest explicitly, so that there is no alibi”, in fear of being expelled from the SYRIZA succession race.

During my interview with Mr. Hadjinicolaou yesterday, I said that “the vision for the constitution is participatory direct democracy”.

As all the news sites are reporting, at today’s meeting, a member of the Political Secretariat (who believes that in our democracy we should not… pic.twitter.com/DtsEtePBvk

– Stefanos Kasselakis – Stefanos Kasselakis (@skasselakis) October 11, 2024

In detail, the post:

“During my interview with Mr. Hadjinikolaou yesterday, I said that “the vision for the constitution is participatory direct democracy.”

As all the news sites are reporting, at today’s meeting, a member of the Political Secretariat (who believes that in our democracy I should not have a second chance) referred to this quote saying: “He spoke of a change of constitution, which is a reason for disqualifying a party from national elections for not respecting the constitution.”

1.I quote from Article 73(1) of the Constitution. 6 of the Constitution which, with the 2019 revision, provides for the possibility of popular legislative initiative, i.e. the possibility for citizens to submit legislative proposals to the Parliament.

2.I quote a publication with the question submitted by 33 SYRIZA-PS MPs in 2022, stating: “Three years have passed since the revision of the Constitution and the above possibility remains inactive, as an implementing law is required and there is no apparent legislative intention from the Greek government (of the New Democracy). This practice is a contempt for the Constitution, citizens and democratic institutions.”

3.I inform you that the Justice Sector of the SYRIZA C.O. has already prepared the draft of the implementing law of article 73 par. 6 of the Constitution, which will be submitted to the Parliament immediately.

4.I list only a few of the proposals for the revision of the Constitution with a direct democratic character (proposal of a law by 100,000 citizens, holding local referendums) that SYRIZA had submitted as a government, but were not voted for in the final phase of the constitutional revision, when the parliamentary majority was acquired by the New Democracy party, which consistently denies the institutional strengthening of participatory democracy in our country.

5.I ask the cadres who are fighting to disqualify me from the elections for SYRIZA president to do so indeed because I don’t put sugar in my coffee. It is better than falsifying the very history, struggles and proposals of our party in the direction of participatory – direct democracy.

6.Because the purpose of my statement was achieved, on the one hand, by the hasty publication of the other candidates’ backgrounds and, on the other hand, by the explicit condemnation of the leak from the General Assembly of October 8, 2024.

Because, as I have already stated, the primary motive of my protest was to ensure the protection of the personal data of every SYRIZA member and staff member (yesterday I was the victim of the illegal leak, tomorrow someone else).

Because, as I have also stated from the very first moment, I would never take the legal route.

For these reasons, I am also expressly withdrawing my out-of-court protest, so that there is no alibi.

7.Because a free congress will be held and free elections will be held in any case, I recommend maturity, composure and sobriety. Anger is a bad advisor. Let’s all stand up a little taller. At that height, we will meet the people of SYRIZA who are waiting patiently to democratically express their vote.”

The two postponements

The revocation of Stefanos Kasselakis’s exodicum, however, was the last “ace” up his sleeve yesterday and he was finally forced to activate it, after the “Kasselistas” were unable to get today’s Central Committee meeting postponed, as they attempted to do at yesterday’s Political Secretariat.

Specifically, the “Casselists” came to yesterday’s meeting with Theodora Tzakri proposing that the meeting not even take place on the one hand and Pano Rigas and Nikos Skorinis proposing on the other hand the postponement of the Central Committee, the withdrawal of the exodicum and a meeting of the 5 presidential candidates. The latter proposal was supported by Olympia Teligioridou, which intensified the view that the “Kasselists” “played their change”, as their internal party opponents accused them, before Stefanos Kasselakis ended up withdrawing the out-of-court letter.

Although the deposed President of SYRIZA PS proceeded to a series of tactics at the cost of his personal capital, having stated a day before to Pavlos Polakis, Apostolos Gletso, and to Nikos Hadjinikolaou that he would not lift the out-of-court letter, with his inner-party supporters and followers arguing in that direction, everyone was finally forced into a new… Cubism, when information late yesterday afternoon wanted the “87” of the “Tsipras Guard” to “flirt” with achieving a quorum in today’s Central Committee, which requires the number of 148 votes to send a strong political message.

Out of the race by the “87”

While the withdrawal of Mr. Kasselakis‘s out-of-court letter could be seen as a goodwill gesture on his part, the fact, however, that he did not retract his position that he remains “de facto and de jure President”, as well as his choice to make it known on social media his decision to withdraw the out-of-court letter as soon as the Political Secretariat meeting ended, further weighed on the mood.

Especially, when the out-of-court letter had been institutionally served to the party, which further raised the levels of discontent within the new majority, with the “87” now appearing immovable towards their decision to clear the internal party landscape, today going as far as proposing the expulsion of the deposed President, Stefanos Kasselakis from the succession race in SYRIZA PS.

In their midnight, online meeting, which was triggered unexpectedly after the latest events, there was reportedly an overwhelming current in favor of rejecting the candidacy of Stefanos Kasselakis, while most of the participants described as “outrageous” the tactics of the deposed President to finally withdraw the out-of-court letter a few hours before the central meeting, referring to “mockery” of the steering body. In the same context, the “87” believe that the case of the out-of-court statement will be a “boomerang” for Mr. Kasselakis, as it highlights the complete lack of credibility, mutual respect and camaraderie, “criminalizing” on the contrary the party processes, as pointed out by cadres of the tendency, considering that at the end of the day the out-of-court statement will also act as a demoralizing for the Kasselakis side.

With these facts, siding with a part of the “Polakistas” and the “Pappas group”, the dismissal of Stefanos Kasselakis is expected to be put on the table of the Central Committee today by the “87”, with the vote to be decided by a quorum of those present, without the possibility of a telephone vote, as well as a hybrid meeting (i.e. through a digital platform), with the aim of gathering 148 votes in favor of their proposal.

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