The Best of GRReporter
flag_bg flag_gr flag_gb

Samaras expelled Roussopoulos and Voulgarakis from New Democracy

30 May 2010 / 10:05:58  GRReporter
3326 reads

The leader of the opposition New Democracy Antonis Samaras showed the door to his colleagues Todoros Roussopoulos and Georgios Voulgarakis, who are suspected of being involved in the corruption scandals of the previous government of Costas Karamanlis. "I have no intentions of apologizing for the murky past of New Democracy. I am here to build a new New Democracy. Behaviour such as that of Voulgarakis, Roussopoulos and Pavlidis have no place in our party," said explicitly the blue leader before reporters.

According to political analysts Samaras take political purge, and mainly aims to show that among the members of the party politicians from the old corrupted according to him structures of government from the time of Costas Karamanlis no longer take part. The way it is done however resembles much more of a witch-hunt with a close party goals rather than of some justice triumph.

"I didn’t ask Antonis Samaras to take responsibility or to make excuses on my behalf," rushed to defend himself Todoros Roussopoulos in a formal address to the media. Legal proceedings have been brought against him and until it is finished, he should be presumed innocent. Instead, the leader of New Democracy overrode the procedures of the judiciary and investigative commission and made conviction himself. Roussopoulos said: "I expect to be tried by the court, not by party mechanisms. I am innocent and will prove it. "

George Voulgarakis, in turn, remained silent and did not give any official reaction to his excluding from the blue party. He was accused of the property deals on Mount Athos monastery Vatoped that were legalized by the notary Katherina Peleki, who is his wife. Charges against Rusolulos state that for years during which he had been spokesman for the New Democracy his property ownership has significantly increased.

The decision of Samaras came two days before the regional elections of the opposition party. After the devastating loss on the parliamentary elections in October, New Democracy decided to take on a new path, because the old image of the party had lost the confidence of the Greek society. Changing the leader was only the first step. Excluding Dora Bakoyannis from the blue party was the second step, which showed that Antonis Samaras acts with solid hand and will not tolerate people who think differently. Dora Bakoyannis was the only member of New Democracy, who dared in the parliament to vote in favor of the rescue plan for the Greek economy, as agreed between the government of George Papandreou, the IMF and the EC. Today the expectations that Bakoyannis will constitute a new, genuine right-wing party outweigh more and more.

The third step of the change apparently was the expel of the 'unjust' blue politicians, the names of whom are linked (with or without direct evidence) with the corruption scandals from the time of Costas Karamanlis government. Among the party goals presented by Antonis Samaras in the last congress were the infusion of fresh blood in New Democracy. The task is to motivate young ambitious people to join the regional centers of the party and thus the blue to build a new image. Regrouping within the party structure should give a result so that in 2013 New Democracy to regain power.

Summer Congress of the New Democracy will be held on June 25 to 27 when Samaras is expected to clear once and for all the shadows of the past and the exclusion from the party of Todoros Roussopoulos and Georgios Voulgarakis to be final. Teodros Roussopoulos, however, is the most successful spokesman for the party throughout its history and one of the best Greek journalist of all times. In contrast to the present party spokesman, whose name even party members hardly remember. Charges against Voulgarakis are against the professional activity of his wife and her father. Even before Voulgarakis tried to defend himself by arguing: "Since when being rich is a crime in Greece".

 

Tags: PoliticsNewsSociety
SUPPORT US!
GRReporter’s content is brought to you for free 7 days a week by a team of highly professional journalists, translators, photographers, operators, software developers, designers. If you like and follow our work, consider whether you could support us financially with an amount at your choice.
Subscription
You can support us only once as well.
blog comments powered by Disqus