SYRIZA leadership candidates to meet amid crisis over Kasselakis’ future
The five candidates in the SYRIZA leadership race have been called to a meeting at the party’s headquarters on Thursday. Meanwhile, the party’s disciplinary committee will meet at 6pm on Wednesday to discuss the possible expulsion of candidate and ousted leader Stefanos Kasselakis.
“I am taking the initiative to call all candidates to a meeting tomorrow at 1pm at Koumoundourou Square to decide on the pre-election procedures and the dates for the televised debates,” SYRIZA MP and presidential candidate Pavlos Polakis told parliament on Wednesday. Kasselakis, Nikolaos Farantouris and Apostolos Gkletsos have reportedly accepted the invitation. Sokratis Famellos, who announced his candidacy on Wednesday, has also been informed.
SYRIZA is facing its most serious internal crisis in years as tensions mount over Kasselakis’ political future. He filed on Tuesday an official legal complaint against the party after his financial statements were leaked in media, reporting discrepancies.
Members of the so-called ‘Group of 87’, a faction within SYRIZA, accused Kasselakis of crossing a ‘red line’ by taking legal action against the party he wants to lead. While some argue that the former leader’s actions warrant his removal from the race, others caution against an overly aggressive response that could further divide the party.
In response to Kasselakis’ complaints, SYRIZA published the financial assets of the other candidates late on Tuesday night.
