Kasselakis: SYRIZA’s party congress will decide

Reacting to a decision by SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance's Central Committee to bar him from standing as a candidate in the party's upcoming leadership election

Reacting to a decision by SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance’s Central Committee to bar him from standing as a candidate in the party’s upcoming leadership election, Stefanos Kasselakis on Monday urged his supporters to register with the party’s member organisations so that they can vote for congress delegates.

“A minority of the members of an organ barred the legally elected president of the party from standing as a candidate again. It is an event that is unprecedented in the history of the country. It is an event that is shocking in the history of the Left,” he said in a social media post. Kasselakis stressed the “the supreme organ” within SYRIZA-PA is the party’s Congress, “which shall decide about everything.” “Our voice is the Congress,” he added.

The ousted former party leader, who was removed in a vote held within the Central Committe, predicted that attempts will be made to postpone the congress and urged the party’s grassroots base to “become a great wave of democracy that will sweep all these mechanisms away.”

“You feel sorrow, rage, disappointment. Turn these into determination, strength and struggle. I ask you not to quit the member organisations. I ask you to become a shield for democracy. If you are a leftist, progressive citizens and are not already a member of SYRIZA, register immediately, up until October 24, so that you can vote for delegates,” he said, adding that “at the Congress, democracy will strike back”.