National Popular Front
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National Popular Front
Εθνικό Λαϊκό Μέτωπο |
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| Abbreviation | ELAM |
| President | Christos Christou |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Nicosia, Cyprus |
| Youth wing | Youth Front ELAM |
| Ideology |
Ultranationalism Greek nationalism Greek Cypriot nationalism Right-wing populism Euroscepticism |
| Political position | Far-right |
| Colours | Black, Blue, White |
| House of Representatives |
2 / 56
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| European Parliament |
0 / 6
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| Municipal Councils |
7 / 470
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| Website | |
| www |
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ELAM (Ε.ΛΑ.Μ.), the National Popular Front or in alternative the National People's Front (Greek: Εθνικό Λαϊκό Μέτωπο, Ethniko Laiko Metopo), is a nationalist movement (and later, political party) founded in 2008 in the Republic of Cyprus. It describes its ideology as "popular and social nationalism" and promotes Greek nationalism. As of May 2011 it has been approved as a legal political party. On December 28, 2010, ELAM organized a march against Turkish Cypriots and migrants. ELAM is a eurosceptic political party.
Prior to the official formation of the National Popular Front, the organization existed under the name "Golden Dawn: Cypriot Kernel". The kernel was established in late 2000, and was led by the current ELAM president Christos Christou, who was an active member of the Golden Dawn political party in Greece. The kernel attempted to register as a political party with the same name, but the name was rejected by the state's authorities, resulting in the use of the name "National Popular Front" as an alternative.
The party's 2011 manifesto proclaims that the party promotes a strict anti-federalist line concerning the Cyprus dispute, a zero-toleration anti-immigration policy concerning illegal immigration, a strict Greek-centered public education to counter the "slavery of globalization"; and an energy policy that would take full advantage of Cyprus' exclusive economic zone.
The party has been the subject of controversy in the Cypriot media and the broader political scene. It has been repeatedly accused of promoting racism and being involved in acts of violence. In July 2010 it was reported that after the condemnation ceremonies against the Turkish invasion of 1974 on 20 July, people with ELAM T-shirts attacked a Nigerian man in Makariou street in Nicosia. On 19 March 2011, eyewitnesses reported that members of ELAM beat up a lottery seller in Lidras street in Nicosia after a disagreement in political views. Furthermore, it was reported that eight ELAM members, one of which ranked as a second lieutenant in the Cypriot National Guard, were arrested by the police in connection to an attack against university students during the student elections of the University of Nicosia on 6 December 2011. In addition, local newspaper Haravgi reported that on 11 May 2012, a second lieutenant was found training ELAM members in shooting mortars in a National Guard's shooting ground. The Ministry of Defense confirmed that an officer had been charged for calling a non-authorized person for shooting in a shooting ground, but specified that it was a rifle shooting. The Ministry made no comment on possible political connections to the incident.
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Wikipedia