Rainbow (Greece)
- This article is the Rainbow Party as a political party in Greece. For the sexual act, see Rainbow party (sexuality).
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The Rainbow Party (Oυράνιο Tόξο, Виножито) is a political party in Greece.
It is known for its "Macedonian Slav minority" activism and and its support to Macedonian Slavs living in Greece. The Rainbow states that it is not a separatist party and sees the acceptance of the Republic of Macedonia in the European Union with a positive regard.
In the past, it had an alliance with OAKKE, the "Organization for the Reconstruction of the Communist Party of Greece" (Οργάνωση για την Ανασυγκρότηση του Κομουνιστικού Κόμματος Ελλάδας). The two once formed a coalition in the local elections.
It participated in the 1999 elections for the European Parliament, obtaining 4951 votes (0,08% of the total Greek vote), and the 2004 elections, obtaining 6176 votes (0,1%). The Rainbow Party is a member of the European Free Alliance.
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.
An issue very important to the Party's agenda is the reestablishment of the former ELAS refugees living in the Republic of Macedonia back to Greece. During the Greek Civil War (1944-1949), many fighters of the communist ELAS (Greek National Liberation Army) took refuge in parts of the former Yugoslavia, under the protection of the Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito. At the end of the war, those political refugees who considered themselves Greek were allowed to return to their homeland. However, the same thing did not happen to those who originated from Greece and defined themselves as "Macedonian Slavs", who have been refused to reestablish in the country since then. The Rainbow Party is also interested in achieving political recognition of the Macedonian Slav minority in Greece, and preserving its culture and customs.
See also
External links
- "Macedonian Slav Political Party in Greece - RAINBOW"
- Greek election results, via the Greek Ministry of Internal Affairs
- Press Releases, via the Greek Helsinki Committee for Human Rights