Galery

2

1

A frenzy of preparations has seized New Democracy ahead of the party’s extraordinary congress on November 7, when a new leader is to be chosen. The organizational commission lead by the former parliament chairman Dimitris Siufas is working in intensive sessions, including Saturday, and top members of the party meet constantly to establish actions and strategies.

Today, the ex-leader Kostas Karamanlis met with the former Minister of Culture Andonis Samaras- a front-runner for the head position. The meeting was initiated by Samaras, who on the other hand refused to meet with the former Minister of Defense Vangelis Meimarakis. Political analysts consider Meimarakis, who has currently undertaken an unifying role for New Democracy, to another candidate for the free leader position. Yesterday Meimarakis met Dora Bakoyanni and Dimitris Avramopoulos, both referred to as certain candidates. Avramopoulos, on the other hand, met with the former party chairmen Miltiadis Evert and Konstantinos Mitsotakis, while the schedule of Meimarakis already includes meetings with Ioanis Varvitsiotis and Ianis Kefaloianis- both well known party names. 

Kostas Karamanlis is closely monitoring the excitement within the party avoiding, however, to take side- neither regarding leader-candidates, nor in discussions on the reasons that caused the election-disaster.

Today at 6 PM conversations between the organizational commission and the possible candidates will take place, in order to discuss the election procedure. The idea of all New Democracy members participating in the vote turns out to be impossible to apply since its realization requires considerably longer time than available. The commission chairman announced yesterday that the date Karamanlis selected for the congress is not up for a change. In addition, the possibility for the congress subject to become the changing the party-statute so that direct elections can be later on conducted is not  realistic either, since Karamanlis is firm bout retiring from the leader position the day after the congress. The only change actually possible is to increase congress members with 1000 people, so the vote is

It was revealed that Dora Backoyanni will officially run for the leader’s position next week. The Former Minister of Foreign affairs also had meetings with party members- Gerasimos Iakumatos and Georgeos Vlahos. She also spoke in favor of any procedure for selecting a chairman.