Image: Volker Weihbold
The state chairman will propose at the committee meetings on Monday that candidates for the party seat be asked for “a small number of declarations of support” so that they end up on the list for the member survey. The 9,000 new party members and 73 applications for party leadership would show “the strong interest in the direction of the SPÖ”: “Now everyone in the SPÖ must understand that the survey is a great opportunity.”
When it comes to the number of declarations of support, the SPÖ state chairman thinks of around one percent of party members across Austria and thus around 1,400 signatures within around ten days. But you can also go down to 0.5 percent, you have to talk about that tomorrow, Monday. “It’s important to me that we take the members’ decision seriously and make it a serious process that is accepted by everyone and differentiate ourselves from the satirical candidates,” said Lindner on Sunday. The three most important candidates (Pamela Rendi-Wagner, Hans Peter Doskozil, Andreas Babler) would bring together the support within a few hours and days – Lindner does not know the other candidates.
The member survey must be binding for the party congress – even if there is less than 50 percent for a candidate – and according to Lindner the statutes must be changed accordingly in the future: “We are at a crossroads be a concept for the future.”
Lindner does not make any recommendations for the party members in Upper Austria and does not reveal which candidate he is voting for. In any case, the Upper Austrian SPÖ boss would like to openly approach the 1,000 new SPÖ members in March in the state and hold a new member event in the spring: “We hope that they will not only take part in the survey, but will remain active in the long term.”
grace period requested
The SPÖ Vienna-Alsergrund, whose vice-chairman Nikolaus Kowall has withdrawn his candidacy in favor of Andreas Babler, demanded a grace period from the party leadership on Sunday. Ten memberships were handed in in good time by midnight on Friday, but could not have been entered in the system because an additional check was necessary. Therefore, from the point of view of the district party, the submission for the membership application should be evaluated for the key date. Of course, the procedural rules decided by the presidency stipulate that the “newcomers” must have been registered by midnight.
It is interesting that the district party, which is obviously leaning towards the Babler camp, was able to welcome a particularly large number of new members. The increase in the small district party was an amazing 700 members. In Austria, the party welcomed 9,000 in the past week.
Source: Nachrichten
