|
|
|
|
Rainbow (political party)
|
| |
|
| |
- This page refers to the Greek political party, for other uses see Rainbow party.
The Rainbow (Macedonian Slavic: ???????? Vinožito) is a political party in Greece.
It is known for its activism amongst what it regards as an Ethnic Macedonian minority in Greece and their descendants abroad. The Rainbow states that it is not a separatist party and sees the acceptance of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in the European Union with positive regard.
In the past, it had an alliance with the Organization for the Reconstruction of the Communist Party of Greece (OAKKE).
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Rainbow (political party)' Start a new discussion about 'Rainbow (political party)' Answer questions from other users |
Encyclopedia
- This page refers to the Greek political party, for other uses see Rainbow party.
The Rainbow (Macedonian Slavic: ???????? Vinožito) is a political party in Greece.
It is known for its activism amongst what it regards as an Ethnic Macedonian minority in Greece and their descendants abroad. The Rainbow states that it is not a separatist party and sees the acceptance of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in the European Union with positive regard.
In the past, it had an alliance with the Organization for the Reconstruction of the Communist Party of Greece (OAKKE). The two in 1996 formed a coalition in the Parliamentary elections.
The Rainbow received much criticism when former members of the party, Nicolas Stoyanov (Stoidis) and Done Katsorov (Katsoris), left the party to become leaders of the organization Bulgarian Human Rights in Macedonia, claiming to represent a Bulgarian minority of Greece. Remaining members of the party retain Greek names and surnames.
In 2005, the European Court of Human Rights found the Greek government guilty of violating the European Convention on Human Rights in that it restricted the party's members' freedom of assembly and failed to provide access to justice within a reasonable time. The Greek government was ordered to pay 35,000 euros in compensation.
Electoral results
It participated in the 1999 elections for the European Parliament, obtaining 4,951 votes (0.08% of the total Greek vote), and the 2004 elections, obtaining 6,176 votes (0.098%). Their best return was in the Florina prefecture, where they managed to tally 1,203 votes out of 39,532 cast. The Rainbow Party is a member of the European Free Alliance. They decided not to take part in the 2004 parliamentary elections, .
Out of the 6,176 votes Rainbow Party received, less than half (2,955) were cast in the region of Macedonia itself. Because parties stand for election across the entire length and breadth of the country, the pro-ethnic Macedonian Rainbow Party polled better in such distant regions as Crete and the Peloponnese than it did in many Macedonian prefectures. Political analysts have yet to explain why a party championing the "Macedonian" cause would attract more voters outside Macedonia, in areas with no Slavonic-speakers, than in its intended target region.
Petros Dimtsis is a Rainbow Party member who has been elected to the office of prefecture counselor in the Florina prefecture, under the flag of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), in the 2002 Greek Prefectural Elections. So far, he is the only member of the party to have been elected to any office.
Rainbow didn't participate in the Greek legislative election, 2007 citing financial reasons .
Political agenda
An issue very important to the Party's agenda is the reestablishment back to Greece of the former ELAS, DSE and former children refugees expelled during the Greek Civil War from Greek Macedonia. During the Greek Civil War (1944-1949), many of them took refuge in parts of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (particularly the Socialist Republic of Macedonia), under the protection of the Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito. When PASOK was elected for the first time, they allowed all Greek communist refugees, located in many communist states, to return to Greece. However, the refugees now living in former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia were never re-granted their citizenship however due to their being seen as a security threat and agents for foreign aggression.
The Rainbow Party is also interested in achieving political recognition of what they regard as an ethnic Macedonian minority in Greece, and preserving its culture, language, and customs. Greece officially recognizes the party but not the ethnic group due to the existence of their own regional group also named Macedonians, their own historical association with ancient Macedonians and concerns of irredentism on behalf of the Republic of Macedonia. There is currently a naming dispute being arbitrated by the the United Nations.
Controversy
The party has come under sustained criticism for maintaining that there is a ethnic Macedonian minority in Greece, a country where Macedonian invariably refers to the Greek inhabitants of Macedonia. They have been prosecuted, their offices burnt and effects stolen. They have come under sustained attack from much of the Greek national press.
The party offices of the Rainbow party were opened in Florina on the 6th of September 1995. On the 7th of September the offices had been broken into and had been ransacked. A sign hanging outside the office which had clearly written on it ????????, ??????? ????, ???????? ??????? (Vinožito, Ouránio Tóxo, Lerinski Komitet). This sign had words "Rainbow Party, Florina Comitee" written in both Greek and Macedonian Slavic. This sign was then stolen during the raid.
The sign was replaced but on the 12th of September priests from the Florina region called on people to join a "demonstration to protest against the enemies of Greece who arbitrarily display signs with anti-Hellenic inscriptions". The statement also called for the “deportation” of those responsible. Early in the morning of the 13th September the offices of the party were attacked by a number of people, including the mayor of Florina. They broke into the premises, assaulted those inside and confiscated the sign. During the course of the night equipment and furniture on the premises were thrown out the window and set alight.
On the 13th September four leaders of the party Pavlos Voskopoulos, Petros Vasiliadis, Vasilis Romas and Costas Tasopoulos were charged with "causing and inciting mutual hatred among the citizens" under Article 192 of the Greek Penal Code.
See also
External links
|
| |
|
|
.gif)
