Small leftist party supports Prespes deal, leader booted from socialist alliance
Democratic Left (DIMAR), a small leftist party created as a result of a breakaway from SYRIZA back in 2010, has voted to approve the Prespes deal.
As a result, DIMAR leader Thanassis Theocharopoulos, the party's only deputy in the 300-member Parliament has been excluded from Change Movement (KINAL), a socialist party created from the fusion of the formerly dominant PASOK party with smaller center-left groupings.
“Mr Theocharopoulos's position serves Mr Tsipras and his designs and cannot be condoned,” KINAL said in a press statement.
KINAL also announced a special party congress for the end of March to complete the fusion process into a single party.
DIMAR's central committee approved the Prespes deal 27-22 with two blank ballots Sunday evening.
Former Prime Minister George Papandreou, a KINAL member, has also come out for the deal. Papandreou is not a deputy.
KINAL chief Fofi Gennimata's opposition to the deal against the wishes of KINAL's executive committee, led the centrist To Potami party to quit the movement last July.
