A new round of fierce intra-party showdown is expected to spark a new round of fierce intra-party showdown at today’s meeting of the Central Conference of the Organising Committee (CEC) at 7 pm, as it is expected to examine the massive complaints allegedly filed regarding irregularities in the election process for the election of the Constituents in Syriza Progressive Alliance.

Over the weekend, familiar complaints intensified the tensions between the majority and the “Kasselistas.” Some of these grievances reached Koumoundourou headquarters but have yet to be made public.

While both internal party factions celebrated the recent results from the day before, today’s meeting is charged with mutual suspicion regarding the actual number of conference delegates who will ultimately receive the “green light” to participate on Friday.

The majority faction, including the “87,” the “Polakis Group,” and the “Pappas Group,” claims to dominate the conference, asserting that they have secured the support of two-thirds of their elected conveners. In contrast, members of the majority are accusing the “Kasselistas” of “rigging” the election results. For instance, in Imathia, the majority estimated a 25-11 advantage, while the Kasselakis camp reported a score of 22-12.

“We are talking about calculations here; there were no separate ballots,” officials close to the majority clarified. They further noted that any delays in receiving information from Koumoundourou stem from the challenges of quickly gathering and processing results from local organizations, a task that can take several days.

The majority is also addressing several specific instances to be decided by the Committee on the Legitimation of Constituents and the CECS. A notable case is the exclusion of Maria Amanatidou, wife of Thessaloniki MP Christos Giannoulis, alongside other alleged irregularities tied to the isyriza platform.

Since tablets were not utilized in the election process to verify participants through the Membership Register—relying instead on lists from the Ministry of Interior—the majority has raised concerns about pro-Kasselakis members allegedly voting multiple times using printouts of their party registration from isyriza.gr.

Meanwhile, optimism is blooming in the “Kasselistas” camp, especially regarding their performance in Attica, which could enable their influential delegates to attend the Conference in person on Friday afternoon. However, there is significant anxiety among supporters of the former president over the possibility of hundreds of Kasselakis delegates being blocked from participation, with reports of as many as 500 potential blockades circulating.

Kasselakis – Polakis confrontation

In a public intervention, former party chairman Stefanos Kasselakis said yesterday that “if I am not a candidate, there will be no party,” warning again of any liquidation of SYRIZA, while outlining his next steps within the arena.

In the final stretch, Kasselakis argued that the conference is the one that “will also have to decide on the withdrawal of confidence”, while also wishing to declare himself a presidential candidate at its conclusion. Earlier, eight members of the CEC yesterday called for an immediate convocation of the CEC, close to Stefanos Kasselakis, prompted by the fact that “SYRIZA-PS presents an image of an unorganized party,” they pointed out.

However, Stefanos Kasselakis announced yesterday on social media that 56.32% of the delegates elected were aligned with him and 43.68% to the other side, to meet the public reaction of SYRIZA presidential candidate Pavlos Polakis, who described as “manipulated and even very” the results published by the former party president. In addition, the “Casselists” estimate that 1983 delegates have been elected in their favor and 1538 against.

Tensions Rise Within SYRIZA Over Delegate Numbers and Leadership

In a heated exchange over delegate counts, SYRIZA’s presidential candidate Socrates Famellos challenged Mr. Kasselakis, asserting that “Leftists and Leftists are not pips.” Famellos criticized the former president for posting numbers by region that assumed the participation of congress delegates, further fueling the toxic and contentious atmosphere. “It feeds yet another episode of discrediting SYRIZA,” he concluded.

Not Even in Student Elections

George Tsipras expressed his frustration yesterday, stating, “It is tragic what is happening; not even in the student elections.” He condemned Kasselakis’ alleged plan to dismantle SYRIZA in pursuit of creating a new party. “He attempted to turn SYRIZA into an IX party for 11 months, and now plan B is being put into action. The real issue wasn’t Kasselakis; it was the party tolerating him for so long,” Tsipras remarked.

Kostas Zachariadis also weighed in, accusing Stefanos Kasselakis of employing “tramp logic” in his aggressive propaganda tactics and creating a “communication bubble” amid the chaos surrounding the delegate election process for the upcoming SYRIZA conference. “From what I know, two-thirds of the delegates align with the views of the majority,” Zachariadis stated during an interview with SKAI. He pointed out the irony in Kasselakis’ claims, noting, “You spend all day denouncing coups and tricks while claiming victory in the elections. Have you ever seen an election process where someone who denounces fraud comes out on top? He’s telling two lies: that he won and that there were scams and tricks,” Zachariadis concluded.