Dimitri Lascaris, who was the runner-up in the 2020 Green Party of Canada Leadership Election, has announced that he is not running for the leadership again.
"From the moment that the leadership of the Green Party was vacated in October 2021, I’ve received moving expressions of encouragement from Canadians across the country who grasp that we desperately need a political revolution. To all those who have urged me to run again, I extend my deepest gratitude," Lascaris stated.
He said that he has been dismayed over politics since the 2020 leadership race, and is one of the main reasons for taking a pass this time, "Since the last leadership contest, I have been dismayed by a precipitous decline in the quality of political discourse in Canada, and in the West generally. Intolerance for dissent has increased dramatically.
"Censorship has been normalized. In particular, those who dare to oppose Western militarism or our failed economic system are being marginalized and suppressed to a degree that is unprecedented in my lifetime," He added.
Adding the Green Party's internal strife the 2020 runner-up said he may not be the one to heal the divisions from the last few years, "The Green Party is emerging from a period of exceptional internal strife. Understandably, many members wish to prioritize the healing of divisions."
Lascaris didn't hold back when it came to former leader Elizabeth May and her part in those divisions, " As many Green Party members have come to realize, Elizabeth’s interference compromised the integrity of the 2020 leadership race. In 2021, under the leadership of Elizabeth’s preferred candidate, the party arguably experienced the most difficult year since its creation.
"For some weeks following Annamie Paul’s resignation, Elizabeth’s confession in the Toronto Star caused me to harbour some hope that she had learned from her mistake. Regrettably, however, I’m now convinced that she will not refrain from seeking to influence the outcome of the next leadership contest, particularly if I am in it," He added.
While not taking a run this year, Lascaris says hes ready to build the Green Party up again, "I stand ready to help the Green Party’s next leader to build the party into a champion of a new and indispensable eco-socialist movement in Canada."
Amita Kuttner has been the Green Party of Canada's interim leader since the fall of 2021. They have been travelling the country reconnecting with voters from coast to coast to coast.
According to party policy, the Green Party of Canada a leadership must be started by May 24th, and be concluded by November 24th.