- United Democratic Left
The United Democratic Left (" _gr. Ενιαία Δημοκρατική Αριστερά", "ΕΔΑ"/"Eniaia Dimokratiki Aristera", "EDA") was a political party in
Greece , active mostly before theGreek military junta of 1967-1974 .Foundation
The party was founded the July of
1951 by prominent center-left and leftist politicians, some of which were former members ofELAS . While, initially, "EDA" was meant to act as a substitute and political front of the banned Greek communist partyCommunist Party of Greece , it eventually acquired a voice of its own, rather pluralistic and moderate. This development was more clearly shown at the time of the 1968 split in the ranks ofCommunist Party of Greece , with almost all former members of "EDA" joining the faction withEuro-communist , moderate tendencies.History
"EDA" participated in all the
elections in Greece from1952 since1964 . In the elections of 1958 it managed to become the leading party of the opposition, an achievement all the more surprising in view of the recent end of theGreek civil war and the consequently prevailing anti-Left politics at the time.In the elections of 1961 and 1964 "EDA" indirectly supported the "
Center Union " against theNational Radical Union . According toConstantine Karamanlis (see his personal notes in his archives), "EDA" lost a significant number of votes in the elections of 1961 because of incidents of fraud incited by the Palace. In1963 , just before the upcoming elections, Greece entered a protracted period of political and social unrest, with the assassination of "EDA"'s deputy,Gregoris Lambrakis , providing further inflammation. "EDA" and the Center Union accused prime ministerConstantine Karamanlis and his party, the "National Radical Union ", for the murder, which resulted in more and, sometimes, violent manifestations.Constantine Karamanlis denounced his accusers, and warned that they contribute to the deterioration of political instability in the country. An independent judicial inquiry held under public prosecutorChristos Sartzetakis concluded that responsible for the assassination were far-right extremists who linked with rogue elements in the Greek security forces. However, no specific instructions from the ruling political leadership were identified, nor proven in the subsequent trial of the perpetrators.The party's end
With the advent of the dictatorship of
1967 , the party was outlawed by the regime and its members were persecuted.After the restoration of democracy, "ΕDΑ" reappeared in the elections of 1974 in an alliance with "
Communist Party of Greece ", which was allowed to operate once again, and other leftist parties, under the leadership ofIlias Iliou , the most prominent politician of the Left inGreece at the time. Following a split in the alliance, "ΕDΑ" never participated independently in Greek politics again after 1977. Under the leadership ofManolis Glezos , the party took part in the elections of 1981 and 1985 in an alliance with and within the ranks ofPanhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK).Politicians of EDA
Well known politicians of EDA were:
*Ioannis Passalidis , the most prominent of the "EDA" co-founders and leader of its group in the Parliament from 1951 until 1967.
*Gregoris Lambrakis
*Manolis Glezos
*Mikis Theodorakis
*Ilias Iliou
*Stefanos Sarafis .ee also
*
History of Modern Greece
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