SYRIZA central committee votes on motion of censure against Kasselakis
The 300-member central committee of main opposition SYRIZA is voting on a motion of censure against its leader, Stefanos Kasselakis.
The motion, tabled by the “Group of 87” faction within the central committee which is known as the guard of former prime minister and party leader Alexis Tsipras, was submitted on Saturday, with the support of a third of central committee members.
The vote, which is by secret ballot, will require the support of half of the central committee membership plus one, which, given the current composition of the body, translates as 148 votes in favor.
Voting began at 10 a.m. and will conclude at 1 p.m. If the motion passes, an extraordinary party congress will follow, with new delegates, which will decide on the process of electing the leader.
In the vote on how to conduct the motion of censure, 122 central committee members voted in favor of a secret ballot and 90 against. Kasselakis had called for an open, roll-call vote.
In addition to the Group of 87, populist MP Pavlos Polakis, who has his own following, has also called questioned Kasselakis’ fitness to lead the party.
Earlier on Saturday, Kasselakis criticized the party’s internal factions and accused Tsipras of failing to unify the party, saying, “Former leaders typically support their successors.”
