SYRIZA demands dissolution of Parliament, elections now
Greece’s main opposition party on Tuesday demanded the dissolution of Parliament and immediate elections, accusing the conservative New Democracy government of being “morally and politically compromised.”
“It cannot remain a moment longer,” SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras told a press conference in Athens. “We are asking for the immediate dissolution of Parliament and the declaration of elections in three weeks’ time.”
Tsipras said his party will, effective immediately, be abstaining from all parliamentary procedures until the prime minister announces a date for the general elections.
“We declare that the longer Mr [Kyriakos] Mitsotakis refuses to do what must be done, putting all he has committed against democracy and the rule of the law to the judgment of the Greek people, SYRIZA will not sanction the legislative work of a government of transgression,” he said.
The leftist leader called the press conference a few days after the government survived a no-confidence motion submitted by SYRIZA over the prime minister’s handling of the wire-tapping scandal, with 156 New Democracy votes in the 300-seat House.
“The irrefutable evidence about the surveillance carried out by EYP [the National Intelligence Service], with the responsibility of the prime minister, against the military leadership, ministers, the head of a political party, European MPs and journalists, as well as the outcome of the three-day debate in Parliament on the censure motion submitted by SYRIZA have created a new set of facts that cannot be ignored,” he said.
“We are transferring the censure motion to the Greek people – the ultimate judge,” he said.
Tsipras said the only exception to SYRIZA’s walkout will concern a bid to prevent the new far-right nationalist party founded by convicted former Golden Dawn MP Ilias Kasidiaris from running in the elections.
