IN THE DISTRICT OF EPIRO AND MUNICIPALITY
In the final stretch for Sunday’s showdown that will highlight Regional Authority and Municipal Authorities for the next five years.
Last days therefore for gatherings, speeches, meetings of the candidates, in a pre-election period different from all the previous ones as it moved in very soft tones and with the citizens keeping approximately the same attitude as that of the national elections.
In the 2023 self-governing elections, the authorities of the country’s 332 Municipalities and 13 Regions are elected for a five-year term. That is, the Mayors, the Municipal Councils and the Councils of the Municipal Communities (or the Presidents of the Municipal Communities with a population of less than 200 inhabitants) and respectively the Regional Governors and the Regional Councils.
According to the figures of the Ministry of the Interior, there are 1,222 municipal associations throughout Greece, while 78 are regional associations.
In total, the candidates are 151,766 and in more detail: 63,906 are candidates for municipal councilors, 80,465 candidates in municipal communities, while there are also 7,395 candidates for regional councilors.
The youngest candidate is 18 years old and the oldest is 102 years old.
The head of the combination that emerges first in votes in the elections of Sunday, October 8, 2023, is elected Mayor or Regional Governor, as long as it has collected more than 43% of all valid ballots.
Otherwise, a repeat vote is held the following Sunday between the first two in voting combinations.
For the election of Municipal and Regional Councillors, the necessary percentage depends on many factors, such as the number of Council members and the performance of the other combinations. A necessary condition is that they have received more than 3% of the valid ballots.
The candidates
We remind you that a total of 27 combinations will be present in the battle of the self-governing elections on October 8.
Seven in the Municipality of Ioannito
Specifically, the current Mayor Dimitris Papageorgiou and the faction “Ioannina Nea Epoch”, Thomas Begas and the “Unity of Citizens Nea Ioannina”, Tatiana Kalogianni with the faction “Ioannina_2023”, Nikos Gondas and the “Independent Municipal Protoporia”, Pantelis Kolokas and the “Ioannina Beautiful City”, Oli Tsoumani with the “Popular Rally” and Christos Patsouras with the faction “Left Intervention in Ioannina”.
In the pre-election arena, Pantelis Koloka’s faction is making its appearance for the first time.
Four in the Municipality of Zitsa
Four candidates are running for the Municipality of Zitsa, the second largest in the prefecture. This is the current mayor, Michalis Pliakos, who is seeking one more term.
The candidate for mayor is the former regional councilor Spyros Paikas. Also a candidate is Yanna Georgoulis from the Pliako faction, who had become independent by making known her intentions to lead a ballot, which she finally did and the puzzle is completed with the People’s Rally faction led by Spyridoula Dardana.
Battle for two in Zagori
In the Municipality of Zagori, mathematically, there will be no second round. And that’s because only two factions descend. So whoever cuts the thread of 43% and collects the highest percentage will be the one who wins. The current mayor Giorgos Soukouvelos is opposite Lefteris Zarkadas with a combination that came from a combination of factions.
Three in Konitsa
In the Municipality of Konitsa there are increased chances that the elections will be decided on the first Sunday. There are three parties, three candidates for mayors.
The current Nikos Exarchou will find opposite him the former mayor Andreas Papaspyrou at the head of an expanded ballot after the merger of his faction with that of Vassilis Spanos.
“Laiki Sispirosis” downloads its own combination headed by Dimitris Sdoukos again.
The two of Metsovo
The elections in the Municipality of Metsovo will be a matter of one Sunday and one round. After the withdrawal of Kostas Tzafeas, the Municipality is contested by two factions.
Maria-Christina Averof, who descends for the first time with the combination “Mazi Psila” and Theofilos Soultis, who descends as head of the “Alliance of Progress” which was formed with the collaboration of the three current opposition factions.
In North Tzoumerka
The mayor of Northern Tzoumerko, Yiannis Sendeles, had very early announced his decision not to run for re-election.
Thus, three new persons are contesting the election this time.
These are the current Deputy Mayor Nikos Vaitsis, Lambros Tragoudaras, who has formed an independent combination and Leonidas Leontaris, head of the “People’s Gathering” combination.
Three in the Municipality of Dodoni
There were many suitors in the Municipality of Dodoni, but three managed to reach the end. Thus the current mayor Christos Dakaletsis will claim one more term. His election is contested by the former deputy governor Yannis Karabinas, while the Popular Rally is present, this time led by Antonis Petrakis, while Tasos Tokas is a candidate with the same faction in the Municipality of Ioannito.
The candidate in Pogoni
The current mayor of Pogoni, Kostas Kapsalis, will face his former and longtime partner Christos Gogo in the October elections.
The “Popular Gathering” led by trade unionist Dimitris Rosilovalis is also submitting a ballot paper.
In the Region
– Viable Development of Epirus led by the current Regional Governor, Alexandros Kahrimanis.
-Epirot public led by Yiannis Stefos and supported by SYRIZA.
– Horizons of Epirus, led by Spyros Rizopoulos.
– Epirus Olon, led by Stefanos Zoumba and supported by PASOK.
– Popular Mobilization, led by Giorgos Prentzas and supported by the KKE.
– Left Intervention in Epirus – Competitive Front, led by Zois Galatas.
– FOS, led by Lambros Georgopoulos.
