Post by Administrator on Jun 14, 2007 9:59:21 GMT 10
In 1928, the Italian authorities permitted the first free municipal elections on Castellorizo and the other Dodecanese islands. Prior to this occurring, Castellorizo's municipal council had been appointed (rather than elected) by the Italian Governor of the Dodecanese islands based in Rhodes and, before Italian occupation, by the French naval authorities (in the period 1915-1921). This had conflicted with an Ottoman policy of allowing locally-elected councils (demogeronties) substantial autonomy in municipal affairs.
The 1928 ballot, which was held on 12 February, led to the election of the following:
Lakerdis' election was a significant endorsement of his standing in the local community and vindicated the earlier decision of the Italian authorities to appoint him to the mayoral position upon their arrival in March 1921.
Municipal elections were held again in 1930 and 1932. Lakerdis was again returned, but on each occasion with a declining majority of his faction represented on the council. The 1932 results were as follows:
The period 1933-34 was characterised by broad-based discontent on the island, much of it aimed at Lakerdis, and most of which stemmed from the lifting of import duties (from a concessional 6% to 13%) and the transfer to Turkey of some of the smaller islets long used by the local population in various industries. This led to the so-called Mouzahres uprising, about which more will be written in a separate thread, and the removal of Lakerdis from power in April 1934.
In the first municipal elections that followed Lakerdis' ousting, the following were returned:
However, free municipal elections were not to last. On 8 March 1937, the Italian authorities, as part of a general tightening of their power, dissolved all municipal councils in the Dodecanese and replaced them with commissioners (podesta) appointed by the Governor. On Castellorizo, Lakerdis' former deputy mayor, Yeorgios Paltoglou, was appointed to the position and he was to remain podesta until the Italian surrender in September 1943.
Nicholas
The 1928 ballot, which was held on 12 February, led to the election of the following:
- Ioannis Lakerdis (mayor)
- Agapitos Xanthis (first deputy mayor)
- Mihail Spartalis (second deputy mayor)
- Konstandinos Konstandinou
- Kyriakos Mandalis
- Tsikos Galettis
- Paraskevas Kalaitzoglou
- Nikolas Tsopanis
- Mihail Savvas
- Pantazis Pantazides
- Yeorgios Zervos
- Dimitrios Antonas
Lakerdis' election was a significant endorsement of his standing in the local community and vindicated the earlier decision of the Italian authorities to appoint him to the mayoral position upon their arrival in March 1921.
Municipal elections were held again in 1930 and 1932. Lakerdis was again returned, but on each occasion with a declining majority of his faction represented on the council. The 1932 results were as follows:
- Ioannis Lakerdis (mayor)
- Yeorgios Paltoglou (deputy mayor)
- Anastasios Economou
- Ioannis Papapetrou
- Paraskevas Kakas
- Vasilios Fitos
- Kyriakos Antonas
- Evangelos Zervos
- Yeorgios Loukas
- Kyriakos Kiosoglou
- Kyriakos Mandalis
The period 1933-34 was characterised by broad-based discontent on the island, much of it aimed at Lakerdis, and most of which stemmed from the lifting of import duties (from a concessional 6% to 13%) and the transfer to Turkey of some of the smaller islets long used by the local population in various industries. This led to the so-called Mouzahres uprising, about which more will be written in a separate thread, and the removal of Lakerdis from power in April 1934.
In the first municipal elections that followed Lakerdis' ousting, the following were returned:
- Savvas Michalakis (mayor)
- Stavros Stamatoglou (deputy mayor)
- Panagiotis Fermanis
- Paraskevas Kakas
- Kostas Loukas
- Yeorgios Pispinis
- Nikolas Yeronikolas
- Kyriakos Voyiatzis
- Vassilis Hatziyiannakis
- Stavros Hatzidiamandas
- Stavros Voyiatzis
However, free municipal elections were not to last. On 8 March 1937, the Italian authorities, as part of a general tightening of their power, dissolved all municipal councils in the Dodecanese and replaced them with commissioners (podesta) appointed by the Governor. On Castellorizo, Lakerdis' former deputy mayor, Yeorgios Paltoglou, was appointed to the position and he was to remain podesta until the Italian surrender in September 1943.
Nicholas