A clear message to all interested parties – namely to party officials who want to support the Greek Left Alliance (ELAS) – that there are no “reserved seats” in their party, nor much time to decide who they will join and who they will leave behind, was sent yesterday by officials of the Greek Left Alliance. In light of the recent activity within SYRIZA and the New Left, officials from Amalia’s party emphasize that the establishment of the Greek Left Alliance has logically caused political developments affecting the entire spectrum of the progressive space.
Commenting on what happened in the last twenty-four hours at SYRIZA’s Central Committee, they stated that “the collective decisions of parties are respected and we do not, as a matter of principle, intervene or comment on their collective processes. The Greek Left Alliance was born from society’s need to overcome existing formations, in order to create a credible and competitive alternative solution against New Democracy. We are open to every democratic and progressive citizen, without exclusions. Anyone who wishes can become a member through electronic registration at myelas.gr and participate equally like all our members in the Alliance’s processes.”
This reference makes it clear that Amalia’s party does not want to get involved in Koumoundourou’s developments and therefore neither discourages nor encourages SYRIZA officials to side with one side or the other. However, they speak of overcoming existing parties, wanting to show that their sole concern is for ELAS to constitute a governmental alternative solution.
They even remind that ELAS’s founding declaration speaks of the need for mobilization of every progressive and democratic citizen through the lines of the new political entity, without exclusions, but without terms and conditions, without reserved positions and offices. “Outside parliament, within society, from society, for society. A broad alliance to bring back hope for a better prospect for our country.”
In reality, these officials repeat the message that Alexis Tsipras sent from the first moment to SYRIZA and New Left officials who wish to support the former prime minister’s endeavor, which states that anyone who wants to align with the new effort must resign from whatever office they hold and march as a simple soldier alongside ELAS officials.
This reference is made as information suggests that SYRIZA and New Left lawmakers who will head toward Alexis Tsipras’ party want to exhaust all margins before giving their resignations. That is, any moves made should begin somewhere in late August to early September with the start of the new parliamentary period. Obviously, those at Amalia believe this move is being made from a position of safety, while lawmakers who want to be on ELAS ballot lists should have left their parties earlier, leaving a time gap until the next step.
“Candidacies for the next elections will be determined collectively and in due time by the temporary bodies of EL.A.S that will be formed in the coming period. At this moment there are no candidates, only equal members. We have also made it clear that we will not have our members as MPs of the current parliament and that we do not have first-class reserved positions for anyone,” ELAS officials characteristically state and add: “Our Alliance was created with the purpose of recomposing forces and re-establishing a strong and victorious progressive coalition against Mr. Mitsotakis’ New Democracy.”
