Army officers are founding political party!

“It’s not a coup d’ etat we are making, as some people may believe, it is just a political movement. All the members are army veterans. At first we were few, then we became more and as far as we can see our power is increasing rapidly. People need a new political form willing to sacrifice their own interests for their country’s welfare.”, was the answer I got.

For the moment the new party, will be called “Army veterans’ initiative for establishing a political party”. It reminds me a lot of LA.OS – something they don’t accept.

From what I’ve been told, it was launched on August 15th in Goudi. What the founding members intended to show, was the parallelism to the August 15th, 1909 movement, in the same place by the military officers who imposed Venizelos to be the leader of our country. (Few words about that military movement, which seems to affect this certain movement, follow below).

A congregation has already taken place in Athens, and there will be another one in Thessaloniki on October the 23rd. There, among others, the base for the party constitution, the emblem and it’s final name will be decided. The military officers have created a blog (http://apostartoi.blogspot.com/) in order to inform and contact the members.

Angeliki

•tFor the record…

The military movement in Goudi

The night of August the 14th, 1909, Athens lives something unprecedented. A few hundreds junior officers founded a secret society, the Military League (“Stratiotikos Syndesmos”), with Colonel Nikolaos Zorbas as their figurehead, along with approximately 2000 soldiers gathered in the Goudi barracks, demanding an immediate turnaround for the country and its armed forces. At the same time they clarify that they don’t turn on those in power, they don’t aim at establishing a military dictatorship. Moreover they don’t demand to overthrow the government. They insist, however, on removing the heir apparent and the princes from the upper level organic positions in the military force, as well as on taking immediate action in order to improve the state’s finances and the practice of pro working class policy.

After taken aback, king George the 1st, is forced to accept transactions with the movement’s representatives, while the government of Dimitrios Rallis, unable to handle the situation, is forced to resign.

Between October-December of 1909, and as the military keeps on demanding reforms, the need of a smooth way out of the major political crisis, becomes common sense. At this critical turning point the role of the Theriso’s rebel Eleftherios Venizelos (sympathizing with the Military League), turns out to be catalytic. He arrives at Peraias on December the 28th and manages to conciliate both sides. Through this intervention, the action of the Military League is terminated and a new charter opens.

Source: Kathimerini