Elections will be held this Saturday, January 11, to elect a new Board of Directors for the Greek Orthodox Fellowship of South Australia (GOCSA).
The election, which will be held at the Olympic Hall, 288 Franklin Street, Adelaide, has a total of 36 candidates standing, but two teams are contesting the election.
On the one hand, there is the team that has led the community for the last few years, but this time, Peter Gonis heads the team.
As reported in Neos Kosmos, the president of the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia (GOCSA), Peter Gardiakos, announced that he will not be a candidate in the upcoming elections for the new Board of Directors.
Gardiakos told Neos Kosmos that he would remain close to the Community and offer his services to it.
“I am confident that the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia is in a strong position, and I look forward to supporting the next generation of leaders as they lead it into the future.”
The retiring president said he spent time with his family over Christmas and New Year and reflected on the future GOCSA and his role in it. After careful consideration, he decided “not to stand again for the upcoming elections”.
“I believe now is the right time for me to step aside and hand over to the next generation to build on the strong foundation we have established.”
Despite Gardiakos’s efforts last year, he was unable to secure the 75 per cent majority needed to pass a motion for reconciliation at a pivotal meeting last October.
The schism between secular-run Greek communities and the Church began in the early 1960s in South Australia and then spread nationally. It began as Archbishop Ezekiel, sent from Chicago, sought to wrest control over properties and intervene in community affairs.
However, by the 1990s, secular Greek community organisations across the states reconciled with the church, and SA held fast to the Schism. While all other states have unified, South Australia’s community is the only one that has held out.
Vice President of the Community, Peter Gonis, will step up and head the Leading Our Community team, and if he wins, he will be the next president.
Gonis told Neos Kosmos that he could not “stress enough the importance of this election”.
“There is a very clear choice between the two groups. My ticket, Leading our Community group, remains focused on modernising the organisation and ensuring that we continue to future-proof GOCSA.
“The investment in our youth cannot be underestimated – it is them who will keep the Community thriving for the next 95 years.
Gonis, it seems, will continue to seek reunification with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and complete the efforts begun over two years ago. Eleven of 15 candidates on his team are seeking re-election, and Gonis said that “stability in the boardroom is essential to long-term success”.
“We got the ball rolling two years ago and still have more to achieve.
“We remain absolutely committed to serving the community to the best of our ability,” said Vice President Gonis.
Panagiotis Ppyros who is heading the opposing Independent Community Progressive Party, told Neos Kosmos that his first concern will be to “reunite our Community, which has been divided for the last two years.”
“This division has had a negative impact on the life, action and operation of our historic organisation.”
It is unclear whether the Independent Community Progressive Party will seek reconciliation with the Church. Ppyros said his first priority would be to reopen the Community’s churches as “normal.”
“Our churches which have been under-operated or operating in succession for the last two years are.”
“At the same time, we will thoroughly investigate the finances of the Community, including our Community Nursing Home, and ensure that there is full transparency and detailed reporting to the membership on the financial situation.”
Ppyros’s comments underscore a tone of combativeness, suggesting that there less appetite for reconciliation with the Church.
“Through legal measures, we will ensure that both the democratic constitution and the property of the Community are safeguarded.
“So that if any approach with the Archdiocese is attempted in the future, we will have both the democratic functioning of the Community and our property secured and guaranteed through the state.”
“The Community Independence Candidates will remain true to the constitution, particularly Articles 2A and 4A, which refer to the independence and autonomy of the Community.
Ppyros said his team will focus on “good governance” based on “democracy,” “transparency,” and “progress.”
This will be a watershed election involving what seems to be two teams pulling at opposite ends. On the one hand, Peter Gonis and Leading Our Community will seek to move the GOCSA forward and reestablish its relevance, while Panagiotis Ppyros’s Independent Community Progressive Party will tread with some scepticism toward any form of reconciliation with the Church.
What is clear is that the January 11 election will clearly determine the future of GOCSA as the only Greek Community in Australia that still holds fast to the Schism.
