The prospect of early elections for the Board of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne Victoria (GOCMV) will no longer concern members.
In an extraordinary meeting of the Board that was called last Wednesday the majority with 8 votes to 5 decided against holding an Extraordinary General Meeting with the question of holding early elections.
The General Meeting was originally scheduled for yesterday.
The action that weighed in Wednesday’s decision was the letter sent by lawyer John Kotsifas representing certain members of the GOCMV that disputed the legality of calling an Extraordinary General Meeting merely to decide on early elections.
In his letter addressed to the President, Secretary and Members of the GOCMV Board, Mr Kotsifas challenged both the timing as well as the legality of the issue at hand.
GOCMV President Bill Papastergiadis said to Neos Kosmos English Edition (NKEE) that although such matters of constitutional provisions can be open to interpretation he did not wish to go down the path of a legal challenge.
To further stress his position Mr Papastergiadis argued that a similar issue had arisen when former President George Fountas had called an Extraordinary General Meeting to proceed with elections in 2007.
“[Mr Fountas] had sought [at the time] the legal opinion of Leslie Glick S.C. – and I’ve got a copy of that opinion – and that opinion says that you can go to an early election,” Mr Papastergiadis explained.
The President of the GOCMV underscored that there are no cut and dry answers to these questions as the Consitution leaves room for various interpretations through its opaque nature.
“My personal view is that the Community has reached the point where it requires consensus; the last thing it needs is getting involved in legal cases, which is a distraction from the key issues ahead of us and that’s my guiding principle: that we need to draw together rather than divide the Community by way of legal action,” Mr Papastergiadis highlighted.
GOCMV Treasurer Con Dikeos who voted against holding an Extraordinary General Meeting to call early elections also extended an olive branch to Mr Papastergiadis’ faction.
“I would hope that Mr Papastergiadis would act within the interests of the Greek Community of Melbourne and if he would to do this, then I would see no reason why others would not work with him. I for one, want to work with him,” said Mr Dikeos.
“I have no problem with Bill [Papastergiadis], simply I disagree with many things that have happened in the past… and for the common good of the organisation I’m willing to sit down [and talk] with anyone,” Mr Dikeos added.
When asked about Wednesday’s meeting result he did stress that “the Markos’ faction’s attempts to call early elections failed because it appears they rushed to a move they poorly researched,” Mr Dikeos asserted. “I suspect that they themselves probably understand this and hence the atmosphere of Wednesday’s meeting was quite conciliatory,” he added.
Mr Dikeos referred to the petition signed by 260 members calling for an Extraordinary General Meeting to decide on the question of early elections.
Con Markos on the other hand when asked to comment about the recent development stressed: “We’re not afraid of the elections whenever they will take place, either now in November or December… bring them on.”