ATHENS: Greece’s parliament late on Sunday narrowly approved an omnibus bill of reforms tied to the country’s next tranche of EU-IMF loans, the parliament speaker said.
Despite 11th hour attempts by the opposition to delay the vote, parties backing the government carried the tough articles that had caused dissent within the coalition partners by a slim majority. The first article including controversial reforms for milk passed with 152 votes against 135 in the 300-member parliament.
The second article including the reforms for the banks was passed by 151 votes against 136.
Former Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou, member of the PASOK, the socialist party member of the ruling coalition, refrained from voting for this article. “With great optimism and strength we are moving ahead ...We made a huge step forward for the Greece of the future”, Greek Prime Minister said in a statement after the bill was ratified by Parliament.
Earlier, Greece’s main opposition Syriza party had called for a dissent and censure motion against Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras, in an attempt to push back the crucial vote on reforms.
Syriza’s leader Alexis Tsipras, who branded the new bill “a crime committed against the people and our country”, accused Stournaras of being “the main administrator of the death contract against Greek society”. The motion was rejected. As Parliament debated the bill up to 7,000 people protested outside.
Finance Minister accused Syriza of attempting an “unprecedented parliamentary coup” adding that the government “had an appropriate reply to those who chose populism.”
Greece wanted the bill ratified ahead of meetings with EU finance ministers in Athens on Tuesday in order to formally conclude the agreement for the new tranche of EU-IMF loans by the second half of April.
The legislation will unlock for Greece some €8.5bn. Greece’s deputy minister in charge of rural development and food, Maximos Charakopoulos, resigned over new milk regulations.AFP
