Parliament prepares for crucial vote [Update]

Demonstrators gathered in front of Parliament Thursday morning for a second day of protests against a new series of austerity measures which Parliament approved in principle on Wednesday.

Tension mounted in the afternoon, however, when clashes between hooded youths and demonstrators left one man seriously injured.

Members of the Communist Party-affiliated union, PAME, formed a human chain in front of Parliament to prevent rioters from disrupting the protest. However, some of the self-styled anarchists threw Molotov cocktails and rocks at the PAME members, many of whom had put on motorcycle helmets to protect themselves.

Meanwhile, the new bill which includes more wage and pension cuts, layoffs in the public sector and changes in collective bargaining rules, faced a second vote on separate articles on Thursday.

Speaking in Parliament on Thursday Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos said that if the new bill is not approved there would be ?no point for Prime Minister Papandreou to attend a [European Union leaders] meeting on Sunday.?

Venizelos invited Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) leader Giorgos Karatzaferis to vote in favor of the new measures.

Also speaking in Parliament on Thursday former minister and veteran PASOK member Vasso Papandreou said that she had met with the Greek Premier ahead of Thursday’s vote and that he had clearly stated that the country will not receive the sixth tranche of the EU-IMF-ECB bailout if the articles of the new bill are not approved in their entirety. The former minister noted that she was not prepared to accept such a responsibility and that she was going to vote in favor of the new measures.

Prime Minister George Papandreou was expected to meet with more PASOK MPs who had voiced concerns over the new bill.

At the same time, a troika report released Thursday afternoon gave the go-ahead for the release of the sixth part of the loan, though the report composed by EU, IMF and ECB officials noted that the debt?s dynamics remained alarming and that the debt will maintain its high levels for years to come.

Meanwhile, more than 15,000 policemen were being deployed in Athens in view of protests taking place on day two of a nationwide strike called by the country?s main public and private unions, GSEE and ADEDY.

The strike affected public transport services on Thursday with train and suburban railway services being halted for 24 hours and metro and ISAP Kifissia-Piraeus trains running from 9 a.m. onwards (Commuters should note trains are not stopping at Syntagma Square and Evangelismos stations). Tram services operated from 8 a.m. onwards, buses were scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. while ferries remained docked for another 24 hours. Taxi owners pulled cabs off the streets as part of a 48-hour strike.

Meanwhile, Wednesday?s protests, which saw tens of thousands of people taking to the streets of Athens were marred by violence and looting. According to police reports 16 officers were injured, while 15 demonstrators were also hurt.

Demonstrations were also held in other cities, including Thessaloniki, Patra and Iraklio and were set to continue Thursday.