THE REGIONAL CONFERENCE OF KOEM

The Regional conference of KOEM was held on 10 July 1949 in Nivitsi. At the time it was expected that a large number of the population would attend. However, the morale of the Macedonian people was low, irreversibly extinguished. The people no longer hoped for anything. Seeing that every future battle was pointless, every day each person awaited only their own death.

There were not enough people in the surrounding villages for a massive attendance at the conference. Finally, a small number of very old people got together with some injured fighters.

Zaharijadis was the first to speak. He wanted to conceal his own weaknesses in the battles he had been in, and immediately he began to attack the other cadres of NOF.

At the end of the conference, a committee was elected for KOEM.

For the Lerin region the following were elected:

1. Risto Kolentsev
2. Tane L Naumov
3. Tego Stoinichin
4. Mahi Pilaeva
5. Dimitri Dzhimerka
6. Jakov Sekidi (Greek)

This committee and these members, after the liberation of Greece, had to vote: In what sort of community did the Macedonians want to live? Whom did they want to join? - Did they want to join Vardar Macedonia? Or did they want to remain within democratic Greece? This right was given to the Macedonian people at the time of the Fifth plenium.

Zaharijadis knew that the two organizations, NOF and KOEM, worked well but he made every effort to dismantle NOF. That was the only reason that KOEM was formed.

Zaharijadis put his own people into the newly elected committee of KOEM so that he could control the organization.

The leaders elected were:

1. Mihail Malijas
2. Pando Vainas
3. Stavre Kochopulos
4. Vangel Kojchev
5. Tashko Hadzhijanov
6. Dzhavela
7. Risto Kolentsev
8. Paskal Mitrovski
9. Vera Baleva
10. Uranija Pirovska
11. Mahi Pilaeva
12. Mahi Gushopulos.

With the election of his own cadres, Zaharijadis closed the KOEM conference.

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