Kasselakis criticizes SYRIZA central committee’s decision to disqualify him from leadership race
Former SYRIZA president Stefanos Kasselakis has once again criticized the decision by the left-wing party’s central committee to disqualify him from the upcoming leadership race.
In an interview with Star TV late on Tuesday, Kasselakis argued that the upcoming party congress, not the central committee, should have the authority to determine who can run for leadership.
“Currently, no one is an official candidate. The congress is the body that approves candidacies. They want to exclude me because if I run, the party base will have its say, and I won’t lose. They fear the people’s anger,” he said.
He also dismissed the idea of forming his own party. “We already have a party – SYRIZA. I’m not leaving it. I’ve made a commitment not to betray the party’s members,” he added.
Of the 152 central committee members, 138 voted on Saturday to reject Kasselakis’ candidacy, sparking outrage among his supporters. Many of his backers had boycotted the meeting in an attempt to prevent a quorum.
An extraordinary party congress is scheduled for November 8-10. The first round of the leadership election is expected to take place on November 24, with a potential runoff on December 1.
