Festival of KNE canceled due to early elections

Dear Comrades,

Due to sudden and storming political developments in our country we sadly have to inform you that the Central Council of the Communist Youth of Greece has decided to cancel the festivities of the 35th Festival.

Yesterday, the 2nd of September, the Prime minister of Greece decided to dissolve the Parliament and declared Parliamentary Elections for the 4th of October, exactly two years before the planned Elections. Since the last elections, that took place in September of 2007, the situation in Greece is stigmatized by hard and complicated conditions that have to do with the economic crisis and the system’s elaborated strategy for the management of the people’s indignation. The government of Nea Dimokratia has, together with the party of PASOK, co- voted for several anti popular measures concerning the wages and the pensions, less expenses for the educational-, health- and social security system, and all this in the name of the encounter of the crisis. Both parties, ND and PASOK are trying to come out of these elections with a strong government able to increase the clear gains of the capital. A strong government able to take new and harsher measures against the working people and the youth of the country.

There is a possibility that neither party will be able to form a self-contained government and that will most possibly lead to more than one electional rounds.

For all these reasons we don’t think that the fulfillment of the festivities of the Festival, in the middle of this short pre-electional period, will help the party’s pre- electional campaign. We need all the members of the Communist Youth, all our forces in this battle so that the next day of the Elections will find our Party reinforced, so that the central message of our campaign “Strong people with a strong Communist Party” can turn to reality. This will also strengthen our common fight against anticommunism.

We are sorry if this decision will cause you any inconvenience and we hope you understand our position. If there is any problem at all concerning the cost of ticket- canceling, visas and so on, we insure you that we will help you in any way possible.

We thank you for your wanting to participate in our Festival and we hope you understand the reasons for this decision. Our goal is a strong percentage for the Communist Party of Greece in the coming elections that will surely have a positive international impact on the difficult battles that are in front of us.

We thank you for your support,

With comradely greetings

On behalf of the CC of the KNE

Yiannis Gkiokas
Member of the Bureau of the CC
Responsible for International Relations