The Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia (GOCSA) will hold its highly anticipated election on Saturday, 11 January 2025, at the Olympic Hall, from 9am to 6pm. The election marks a pivotal moment as candidates present their vision for the future of this historic organisation.
Among the hopefuls is Peter Ppiros, a candidate representing the Independent Progressive Alliance. Ppiros is well-known for his tenure as the General Secretary of GOCSA from 2016 to 2022 and as a newspaper editor.
His campaign centres on fostering unity, enhancing transparency, and ensuring the independence of the community.
“If our team is elected, our first priority will be to reunite our Community, which has been divided over the past two years. This division has had a negative impact on the life, activities, and functioning of our historic organisation,” Ppiros told The Greek Herald in a statement.
“As a matter of priority, we will ensure that our churches, which have been operating at reduced capacity or intermittently over the past two years, return to normal functioning.
“At the same time, we will conduct a thorough investigation into the Community’s finances, including those of our Community care home, ensuring full transparency and providing detailed reports to members regarding the financial situation.”
Ppiros said his group would also safeguard “through legal measures… both the democratic constitution and the assets of the Community.”
“This will ensure that any future attempts at engagement with the Archdiocese will be firmly grounded in state-backed guarantees of the Community’s democratic operation and the protection of its assets,” he added.
“The candidates of the Community Independence platform will remain committed to the constitution, particularly Articles 2A and 4A, which pertain to the independence and autonomy of the Community.
The cornerstone of our good governance is: DEMOCRACY – TRANSPARENCY – PROGRESS!”