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Duel under the green sun of PASOK: Gennimatas vs Venizelos

Suddenly and unexpected the former powerful man in PASOK and ex PSI finance minister Evaggelos Venizelos gently found himself outside the party he served for several decades.

On Saturday, a day before the second round of the regional and local elections, KINAL/PASOK president Fofi Gennimata told him that he would not be on the top position of the ballot paper for the upcoming general elections where candidates are elected without a cross. She had decided to put former Mayor of Athens, Giorgos Kaminis, on top of the list and Venizelos at the last, so-called “honorary” position with no chance of being elected.

Venizelos rightfully considered Gennimatas’ move as an act to downgrade him and announced he was resigning from the socialist alliance.

A ping pong of statements and anti-statements broke out, with Gennimata to say that he has asked for the top position and offended Venizelos to list down all the good things he did for the party.

The chairwoman’s move was a strategic one. First she felt that Venizelos had not work enough for the regional and local elections and second she and part of the party officials considered him as one who is leaning more towards New Democracy than be loyal to the socialist principles of KINAL alliance. According to media, the chairwoman felt that he was following his own “perosnal strategy than the one of the party.”

She wanted to get rid of such a ambivalent political figure and target former PASOK voters who had cast their votes for SYRIZA in the elections of January and September 2015.

In the European elections KINAL managed to win the third position after New Democracy and SYRIZA. In this sense and context Gennimata wants to increase the EU elections rates from 7.72% to above 10% in the general elections. And for this she needs all possible votes of former PASOK voters who abandoned the party during the years of the bailout agreements and austerity measures.

However, the political veteran Venizelos is too hard to die and already today, Tuesday, some party officials demand that he would be on top position of the ballot.

Fofi Gennimata sent the message to all directions that she is the president of the alliance and the party.

KINAL/PASOK is currently divided over Venizelos and the question is how the electorate will react in the parliamentary elections.

Media scenarios wanted Venizelos to join New Democracy. He dismissed the scenario before ND leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis made it clear on a live interview on Monday that the party does not want him.

Another scenario claimed that he would go for the post of the President of the Republic, when such elections are due..

His countless enemies wish him a good rest at home.

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