By Antonis Anzoletou

Very few yesterday in the Iera Odos multipurpose hall believed that the conference could complete the main part of its work, which was the approval of the four nominations and essentially the “cutting” of Stefanos Kasselakis from the process.

His angry followers, who were at the conference, the stubbornness, the pushing, the fainting and the strong rebuttals did not foretell that the process would begin. The majority side, however, had a different view from the beginning.

Despite crowding in the credential lobby, mostly on the side of non-delegates, the process began.

No one can claim that the organization was good. Neither the space was suitable nor the planning of the works had been done in the right way. The credential cards arrived very late around six in the afternoon and shortly after that the doors opened.

Stefanos Kasselakis tried to win impressions by leaving and later returning to the conference venue, without finally succeeding in not implementing the decision of the Central Committee by the majority. This particular move probably showed more embarrassment than a tactical maneuver. The process began with the head of the bureau, Yiannis Mazouranis, taking the floor to the sound of the few “Kasselakists” who were in the room disobeying the exhortation of their leader to head towards Tavros.

Read in detail: Kasselakis resigned – The chronicle of the rapid developments at the Congress

The sequel is known. 3072 delegates voted in favor of approving the four nominations (Socrates Famellou, Pavlou Polakis, Nikolas Farandouris, Apostolos Gletsou) electronically 2784 voted against and 276 against. There were also 12 abstentions. Of the “87”, they emphasized that if one takes into account the original 4200 delegates, 2/3, i.e. approximately 66% of the body, were in favor of the new majority.

The highlight of the conference? Theodora Tzakri who – after going up to the bureau to submit the stick with the 1936 signatures in favor of St. Kasselakis – tried to speak on the microphone with Giannis Mazouranis not allowing her to.

Stefanos Kasselakis announced a new party

The split caused parallel processes yesterday and while the four candidates were analyzing their perspective on the new SYRIZA, Stefanos Kasselakis was announcing in his offices in Tavros the creation of a new party and his departure from Koumoundourou.

Today at one o’clock in the afternoon he has made a new call in order to make announcements.

From “I will stay in the conference until the last congressman enters” the former president did not wait at all and made his intentions known very immediately. He may have been in a hurry because he saw three MPs who support him, Petros Pappa, Alexandros Avlonitis and Rallia Christidou, move towards independence, leaving SYRIZA with 32 MPs now on the “razor’s edge”.

The next day in Koumoundourou

If two more MPs leave Koumundourou, SYRIZA will lose its institutional position as the official opposition, giving its place to PASOK. It is a fact, however, that the escape of the three took second place yesterday, as the “87” were sailing in an “ocean of happiness” since the removal of Stefanos Kasselakis from the party. Maybe faster and easier than they thought.

Things will not be easy for SYRIZA the next day. The party has been led to a moral abomination, it has lost a large part of the Left of the public, while it is certain that the flight of Stefanos Kasselakis and the creation of a new party will significantly cost SYRIZA in terms of its percentages.

In Koumoundourou they have before them a crucial electoral contest that will determine the next president. It is certain that the first polls that will include the Kasselakis party will be of great interest.

The former president of SYRIZA also has a “Calvary” in front of him. The three years until the next election is a very long time for an extra-parliamentary party to stand the test of time.