Former Syriza leader Stefanos Kaselakis is leaving his party.
Kaselakis announced his decision after the party's congress refused to consider his candidacy for the leadership post. Elections for a new leader of the formation will be held later this month. Kaselakis announced that he will form a new party, for which he will make a new announcement this afternoon.
"Come at 1 p.m. for the most independent, most progressive movement to be created in this country," Kaselakis said late last night in the Athens suburb of Tavros. "This is not an apostasy but an extension of the democratic left in our country," he added.
Three Syriza MPs - Alexandros Avlonitis, Petros Pappas and Ralia Christidou, all supporters of Kaselakis - announced they were quitting or becoming independent MPs. This leaves the main opposition Syriza with 32 MPs in the 300-member parliament, one more than the socialist PASOK.
Many of Kaselakis' supporters who had entered the congress hall left the forum after what he had said. The tension inside and outside the hall delayed the start of the congress by almost three hours.
It was clear from the start that the groups supporting and opposing Kaselakis would not compromise.
They could not even agree on the number of delegates to the congress. The chairman of the congress, Yannis Mantzouranis, announced that they were 4,282, while Kaselakis' supporters claimed 3,587.
Delegates can also participate online. | BGNES
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