Andr. Loverdos: G. Papandreou destroyed me – There was a ‘line’ from SYRIZA for a specific candidate

“There was a line from SYRIZA in favor of a specific candidate” in the first round of the internal party elections, “from SYRIZA they came organized and voted”, but “the people of ND did not vote, apart from sporadic appearances of some” from the ruling party “, stressed Andreas Loverdos, who came third in the first round of elections for the leadership of KINAL.

Speaking on the First Program and on the show “The GPS of the news”, the MP stated: “From what they tell me, because I did not live it since I was not in the polling stations all day, from SYRIZA there was a” line “for a specific candidate . I appreciate who, but I can not say the name. I was not bothered by this, I do not complain. This also increased the participation. Fine. “The bet for the new leadership will be to keep this world,” he said, while firing on George Papandreou.

With his decision to run, Mr. Papandreou “destroyed me first”, he said characteristically, explaining that “if you look at the results in western Greece and Attica where I was first but my difference was not as expected, Mr. Papandreou did a move that had consequences for me. ” The second consequence is “on” him. I had told him that as a former prime minister, his role was to support the late Fofi Gennimata, who was then alive, to ensure a smooth run towards the December 5 elections. He did what he wanted to do, right. He suffers the consequences first of all. “I asked him to do it back, at the beginning of the week,” he added.

Mr. Loverdos underlined that in the second round of the internal party elections, Nikos Androulakis will vote without the “slightest transaction”. “Mr. Androulakis had called me, I did not pick up the phone. I took out my announcement and then I called him. There was not the slightest transaction give and take. I did it because I think it should be done. And this week I am just as decent “I say what I will do, and we are moving on to the second round. I hope on Monday we will all be united. I believe that those who have chosen the path of acidity this week, must leave it,” he added.

“Shock my exclusion – Why I support Androulaki”

The KINAL MP and former minister admitted that his exclusion from the second round of the internal party elections was a “shock”.

The statement in support of Nikos Androulakis was a “small manifesto of Loverdos” after my personal defeat and I explain the reasons. I mention that every politician has advantages and disadvantages like all of us, both of my fellow candidates a few days ago. The electorate sees the advantages and voted on them. As for the disadvantages, I said that one is not fair, because he has been the leader of this faction again and the election of a leader without hope is not right. The other is not an MP at the same time, with all that entails. “So weighing these, and seeing the majority of December 5th, it is self-evident for me, to vote for Nikos Androulakis without being the leader of the people”, he pointed out.

He explained that he does not consider the 70,000 people who voted for him to be “sheep”, so that they need orders for what they will do. “But I, as a member of the faction, will vote for this,” he said, explaining that he did not make the decision alone, but after a discussion with his close associates, such as Dimitris Konstantopoulos, Nadia Giannakopoulou, Hara Kefalidou and Spyros Karanikolas, who also made public statements, added that discussions were also held with other executives, such as Eva Kailis and Leonidas Grigorakos.

“As soon as we hang up the phone I start for Thessaloniki, where there will be a gathering with my people, to thank them for the fight they gave. I will do the same in Athens next week. I am obliged to the 70,000 people who supported me to honor them If I were president I would honor them with my policies, now that I’m not president I will honor them with my behavior and attitude. I will not disappear, I will not forget them, I will be here. I am present, I am dynamic, but beyond “I will fight with modesty and unity. What I have said before the elections, I will keep,” he said.

Bets and the bar

According to Mr. Loverdos, the issues he had raised for the restoration of PASOK and its symbols, the more than doubling of the party’s percentages, the welfare state and the fight against bureaucracy remain “bets”.

“These will be the policy axes, the starting positions and the values, on the basis of which I will be in the party. What is a politician without clear views?” election 200,000 people. “In 2017, 212,000 voted in the first Sunday and 155,000 in the second. So there is always a reduction in turnout in the second round. It makes sense to repeat, but I do not know,” he said, urging citizens to go to the polls.

“Decency and culture”

“The clearest in political terms, I was the one who did not win,” said Mr. Loverdos, emphasizing that during the election campaign for the first round, there was “decency and culture” of 5 of the candidates. “Because we were not all in the debate. I was also the sharpest in the debate. I did not get answers, I asked the poses properly and I commented on them properly. The other 4 co-candidates, for their part, followed the same logic of dignity and decency. People would say “well done” to us the next day. We have proved that this party, although it has been looted by executives, remains with many important people. It is in honor of the team and I am very happy to belong to it. The 70,000 who voted for me is a great honor, they voted for me and my views, they did not vote for me on a catwalk. I was very specific in my election role. “So I will continue based on these views of mine,” he said.

He denied that he was acting as “anti-SYRIZA”, saying that in politics we should all be in the “plus” and not in the “minus”. “Anti”, “anti-communist”, “anti-so”, anti-right, “anti-SW”, “anti SYRIZA”, do not exist. These terms never expressed me. You have to project what you are, not what you are not. “Do not define yourself”, Mr. Loverdos underlined.

Source: ERT