Samaras rejects idea that ND MPs opposed to same-sex marriage abstain from vote
Former premier Antonis Samaras has indicated that he will vote against a bill legalizing same-sex marriage when it comes before parliament, thus appearing to reject a proposal of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis that government MPs who disagree with the measure abstain in the relevant parliamentary vote.
“The vast majority of society has a clear opinion on this issue and I will also take a position when the time comes in Parliament,” Samaras told reporters in Kalamata.
The political class, which for years has urged citizens to turn out and vote, cannot be seen to be encouraging abstention from important issues, he added.
“For years all politicians have been telling the Greek people that they should not abstain from elections and that they should vote for the good of democracy. So are we going to tell the Greek people to vote and not to abstain while telling parliamentarians and ministers to abstain?” he said.
In a televised interview on Thursday, Mitsotakis suggested that, given that some of his New Democracy party MPs will not change their minds on the subject of marriage quality, he urged to dissenters to abstain and not vote against the bill.
