After hours of deliberation and delays, SYRIZA’s Central Committee voted to block former president Stefanos Kasselakis from running in the upcoming intraparty leadership elections.
According to reports at To Vima, very few members of the central committee were against the proposal to exclude Kasselakis from running.
The final list of candidates for SYRIZA’s leadership will be announced on October 24, with party elections set for the end of November.
About the Central Committee Meeting
The meeting of SYRIZA’s central committee was widely split between the ‘old guard’, several candidates for leadership, and Kasselakis’ dedicated followers.
The meeting itself was scheduled to start at 12:30 but its proceedings were overshadowed by procedural drama related to Kasselakis’ supporters who refused to take entry cards.
The move was widely considered to be an effort by Kasselakis’ followers to stall proceedings and prevent the neccessary quorum of 148 party members.
SYRIZA Committee members expressed irritation with the move, which delayed proceedings by 2.5 hours.
A member of the Central Committee informed Greek media that the meeting would finally take place, despite the efforts of members to create problems, as they reached quorum.
About Kasselakis
Kasselakis was removed from his position as president of the leftwing SYRIZA party after a vote of no confidence by the majority of the party’s Central Committee members last month.
Procedurally, after this censure, the party had to convene an extraordinary congress to decide on a new internal election for a SYRIZA president. In the intervening month the party has remained with care-taker leadership.
Meanwhile, Kasselakis was defiant over the notion that he was no longer party president, which led party members to escalate the matter and call for his expulsion from they party.
