& nbsp & nbspFrixos Dalitis, PHOTO: Antonis Antoniou & nbsp; & nbsp;
Particularly intense and caustic in what the EDEK MP Kostis Efstathiou states, expressing at the same time intense concern for the next day in his party. He believes that the wounds that have opened in recent years will be difficult to close and places clear and unequivocal responsibilities on the party leadership for the current situation.
He talks about his relationship with Marino Sizopoulos, the support he provided and how this relationship, due to malicious interventions by third parties, has deteriorated. He describes as funny the way in which the EDEK congress was convened in a short period of time, stating that not even a birthday party can be organized within 20 hours as the party leadership did with the congress. He comments on the issue of the register of members, which is the reference point in the controversy of the party and stands on the introversion to which the party has been led, with logics of “ours” and “another”.
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What EDEK reports on the incident in RIK How Efstathiou comments on the censorship incident in RIK Reactions to intervention of a RIK executive in a show
He responds to the statement of Marinos Sizopoulos that “the door is open”, characterizing it as unacceptable by the president of a historical party such as EDEK. He states that he did not for a moment think of resigning. Finally, he responds to what was said that he himself could be a consensual solution for the party leadership, stating that EDEK does not need a “service government”, but a “solid and unifying leadership”. >
– How do you see the developments in EDEK and what do you estimate will be the next day for the party?
– Already the next day at EDEK is very difficult. The party lacks competitiveness and camaraderie. There is an entrenchment in “their own” and “others”, as if there were enemies within the movement itself. The last period left wounds which will be difficult to close, due to the surrounding atmosphere that I have mentioned above. It is a pity, because precisely the dynamics that united the party over time with its friends, members and followers, either because of its history and its contribution to the place, or because of the universal ideology of socialism, has ceased. In its place are centrifugal forces, which crush every notion of collectivity. “Whoever disagrees or who does not like the view, the door is open”! Wasn't that said, a few hours after the conference ended? But, are these things to be said by the president of the party? Whatever had happened, one would expect a call for unity, a prospect of hope, a commitment to a common path forward. Instead, the same mistakes and the same disparaging behaviors that led to distancing and the atmosphere of war, either inside or outside the party, are repeated, which ultimately lead to its self-denial.
– You described ” de facto “the leadership of EDEK after last Sunday's elections. How do you mean it? Do you think this is a matter of a new court battle?
– Unfortunately, the method chosen and the procedure followed by the conference, led to its manipulation. The result was to do what was done without democratic legitimacy and in a way that was statutory unacceptable. A “conference” was hastily and suddenly announced within 20 hours! Like I said, not even a children's birthday party can be done in 20 hours! It takes more time to possibly buy balloons, to prepare the cake, to make the creams for the children, to decorate the place, to freeze the juices, to give the invitations!
It is not a coincidence at all! that the party statute requires that the conference material reach the Local Organizations and the members at least two months before the work of the congress. And this is done in order to study the material, to evaluate, to make suggestions and proposals, because the conference is not something that is done just to be done. & Nbsp;
This material explicitly includes the action report of the Central Committee, the financial report, the report on the organizational situation of the party, the political program positions and the tactics of the Movement for the Future. Nothing happened, nothing happened! & Nbsp;
A whole speech of the president lasting 45 'to 50' minutes, in the presence of 83 (!) People and that was all… Too bad for the party, really. And the elections followed the next day. 1,035 members, if there are that many, voted, out of a total of 7,000 members. That is why I said and I still believe that democratic legitimacy is lacking in the result to which things led. “De facto”, without legitimacy. I do not mean the lack of legitimacy, which is why I am not in favor of litigation. I mean the lack of democratic legitimacy of the result, which is the worst thing that can happen to a party that is inherently democratic, such as EDEK.
– What should have been done in your opinion? The term of office ended…
– There is no excuse that because the term of office expired, intra-party democracy should not be respected and the democratic principle should be bent. The inaction of so many months that have passed since the announcement of the conference (since last summer) is due to the orders of the courts, but also to the persistence and “sanctification” of the register of members held by the president, at the same time there were serious objections. complaints about its correctness and authenticity. You ask me what needed to be done. The answer is simple and easy. To hold the conference on time with a register that everyone would agree on, to the greatest extent possible. I had proposed the procedures to be based on the 2017 register based on which Marinos Sizopoulos had triumphed. However, the stubbornness and the trenches within the party itself did not allow the use of common sense.
– Do you think that there is really a problem with the party membership register? What is your assessment?
– There have been and there are serious complaints with the register of members and I do not claim that they are superficially grounded. The objections mainly claim that after the announcement of the conference, additions and subtractions were made in the register. You know, after the announcement of the conference no change in the register is allowed. Things are frozen, as is the case with electoral rolls. The lists close. It was and is very simple to identify any intervention in the registry, through technology. Determining whether there were registrations or deletions in the register of members in the closed period, when they were made and through which computer, is a technical matter. Judicial expertise has evolved tremendously in recent years. So instead of allowing an expert to look at things in order to put an end to the uncertainty, a political tone was given to the issue, the perpetuation of the passions and the maintenance of the war climate and the counter-clashes on both sides were preferred.
ABOUT THE RIK INCIDENT
– Did you ask for an explanation for the incident that happened in RIK and involved your intervention? Will you take any action to protest?
– To be honest with you, perhaps because I was abroad, I did not realize the extent and seriousness of the issue that arose with my intervention in RIK, until I was informed by the courageous journalist of what really happened. This happened on Friday night and I was sincerely saddened first by the resignation of Dinos Finikaridis and second by the way the incident took place. I did not make any hints or complaints because it was a private conversation which I undertook not to make public. You know the others. “No krypton under the sun.” These things should not happen, they are not in line with a democratic society.
“I never thought of resigning from the parliamentary seat” >
– What is your relationship today with Marino Sizopoulos? You were one of the people who supported him. Do you think that you made a mistake?
– I have supported Marino in the past during the internal party procedures but also in the collective bodies. He also has the skills and adopted the political positions with which I agreed. Besides, I considered him a friend. That's why I do not think I was wrong to support him in the circumstances in which I did so. But I have to admit that my relationship with him is no longer the same as before. Unfortunately, many “well-wishers” and experts in his inner circle took care to poison her. I am aware of what and by whom it was said that “Kostis wants to eat you”, that Efstathiou “is behind everything” and other such nonsense and malice, in order for every insignificance to gain a foothold and be given importance. The result of this vicious narrative was the creation of a toxic climate of distrust and catastrophe against many competitors, so that any criticism and disagreement with the President of the Movement would be perceived as a military action against him. And to get here where we are. In demonizing essentially the other point of view.
– How will you react to all these developments? Will you continue normally as a party MP? Did the resignation go through your mind?
– I am an MP of the party, I have a duty and obligation to reciprocate in the best possible way the honor given to me by my friends, members and voters of EDEK to elect me as their representative. I have four more years of service and I will exhaust them, first God, as a legislator and representative based on my conscience and dedication to the truth. I did not think about resigning for a moment.
– Some people once saw that you could take over the leadership of EDEK as a consensual solution until calm returned to the party. Could you play that role?
– I would never accept to do such a thing. For two reasons: & nbsp;
– The first is that taking over the leadership of the party can not be occasional, nor can it be conditional. It is not a “service government” that EDEK needs (like any political party), but a solid, unifying and consistent leadership. & Nbsp;
– The second is that in the past, in the “good years”, I had promised Marinos Sizopoulos and stated before the Central Committee that I would not be his opponent for the presidency of EDEK.
< b> NO TO MANIPULATION OF PROCEDURES
– Why do not you participate in sessions of the party's collective bodies, as stated by the president of EDEK?
– I did not realize which sessions of the collective bodies I did not participate, as Marinos Sizopoulos said. Following the announcement of the conference, there were not, nor could any, meetings of either the Politburo or the Central Committee. Unless there were sessions in secret or by that it means the parody of the “extraordinary conference” that took place a few months ago, in violation of court decrees and the statute. Of course I did not go there. I am a citizen, a legislator and a lawyer and I can not break the law, nor participate in the manipulation of procedures.
– Is there coordination and cooperation in the parliamentary group?
– There is indeed enough coordination in the parliamentary group, which can be further improved and which I hope will not be poisoned by the recent events. It is, after all, the only body that provides for the statute of the party for which there can be no objection either for its composition or for its legitimacy.
“The wise man meant…”
– What does the decision to annul the decree mean in the case of Michalis Terepei?
– In the case of the competitor Michalis Trepei, the Court ruled that what Michalis claims that was done with the register are serious things, are at first glance valid, are issues that should be considered by the Court and that he can succeed in his lawsuit. However, the Court said, since it admitted (honestly and honestly to me) that it had no intention of claiming his re-election, this meant that it would not suffer any damage from the non-continuation of the decree and therefore there was no reason for this to apply. That is why he annulled the decree. Therefore, the wise man meant!
