09) GREEK COMMUNISTS RESPOND TO ELECTION RESULTS

            In the Jan. 25 parliamentary elections in Greece, the social democratic SYRIZA party won 36.3% of the votes, taking 149 out of 300 seats, two short of an absolute majority. The incumbent conservative New Democracy (ND) fell to 27.8% and 76 seats (a loss of 53), its worst result ever . The right social‑democratic PASOK, ND's coalition partner, was reduced to just 13 seats (from 33 in 2012) and just 4.7% of the total vote, also a historic low.

            The fascist Golden Dawn lost votes, but placed third with 6.3% and 17 MPs, many of whom are in jail for various crimes. The newly‑created To Potami (The River) centrist party entered parliament with 17 seats and 6.1%. The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) improved on its 2012 results, gaining one percent to 5.5%, and 15 seats, a gain of three.

            SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras was sworn in as Prime Minister on January 26, after reaching a coalition agreement with ANEL, the “Independent Greeks” who elected 13 MPs with 4.7% of the vote, a decline from 7.5% in 2012. This right wing party, formed largely by former ND supporters, opposes the “Memorandum” deal between Greece, the EU and the International Monetary Fund, but it takes racist anti-immigrant positions and wants to develop a Christian Orthodox education system.

            The KKE achieved a net increase of 60,000 votes, and placed third in eleven electoral regions: 2nd region of Piraeus, Samos, Lesvos, Lefkada, Zakynthos, Kephalonia, Kerkyra, Larisa, Trikala, Prebeza, Boiotia.

            In its post-election statement, the KKE leadership said, “”First of all, we would like to salute the thousands of working people in our country, the young people that responded to the appeal of the KKE and contributed to its strengthening today, confirming the positive tendency of forces to rally again around the KKE, the tendency to regain votes. This tendency appeared last year, in the EU parliamentary elections, the regional and municipal elections and continued in all the various struggles of the people, in the labour, trade union and wider people=s movement.

            “In particular we would like to salute the people who voted for the KKE for the first time, because they appreciated its firmness, consistency and selflessness.

            “As a whole, the election results reflect the great discontent and anger of the people against ND and PASOK, the parties that plunged the people into poverty and unemployment during the economic crisis.

            “Of course they express to a great extent the false hope that the new government of SYRIZA  might follow a political line in favour of the people.

            “Based on the official statements and positions of SYRIZA before and during the election campaign, the KKE has assessed that the new composition of the Parliament and the formation of a government of SYRIZA - either on its own or in a coalition government ‑ will follow the beaten track:  the EU one way street, the commitments to big capital, monopolies, the EU and NATO with the negative implications for our people and the country. Once again the people will pay the price for these choices.

            “We consider particular negative the fact that a Nazi party, a party with specific criminal murderous activity, a party that was formed by the mechanisms of the system, a party that is clearly against the interests of the people, has received again a significant percentage of the electorate’s votes.

            “As whole, we assess that the line of counterattack and rupture with the capitalist path of development, the EU and against the policies that support this path through assimilation and passivity must be strengthened among the people and the movement.

            “The KKE will increase its efforts and initiatives regarding the acute problems of the workers and the people, with our proposals for the relief of the unemployed, the families from the popular strata, the self‑employed, the farmers and the students.

            “It will increase its efforts for the regroupment of the labour and people’s movement, the construction of the people’s alliance in order for the people to realize their hopes and expectations and free themselves for the yoke of the monopolies.

            “We will fight both inside and outside the parliament, with the strength that the people gave to our party so as to reveal the plans that are being concocted against the people.

            “We will fight dynamically as the militant workers=‑people’s opposition, as the organizer and the driving force of the workers= struggle and the people’s alliance for the survival of the people and also for the prospect of a radical overthrow.

            “We wish strength to all of you. We continue our struggle! Thank you.”

(The above article is from the February 1-14, 2015 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading socialist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)