EUROZONE-GREECE/ELECTION REAX Greeks troubled over snap elections, lawmakers begin meetings

Record ID: 136053

  • Title: EUROZONE-GREECE/ELECTION REAX Greeks troubled over snap elections, lawmakers begin meetings
  • Date: 23rd August 2015
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (AUGUST 21, 2015) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF SYRIZA PARTY HEADQUARTERS SIGN OF SYRIZA HEADQUARTERS GREEK PRIME MINISTER AND SYRIZA PARTY LEADER, ALEXIS TSIPRAS, EXITING SYRIZA HEADQUARTERS AND ENTERING CAR CAR DRIVING OFF FORMER SYRIZA LAWMAKER AND POPULAR UNITY PARTY MEMBER, STATHIS LEOUTSAKOS EXITING SYRIZA HEADQUARTERS AFTER QUITTING THE PARTY
  • Embargoed: 7th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA9GNEFI2SVLNS4G0VGAXDUTKGK
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Greeks expressed concern on Saturday (August 22) over the prospect of snap elections and renewed political instability.
    Rebels opposed to Greece's international bailout walked out of the leftist Syriza party on Friday (August 21), formalising a split after its leader Alexis Tsipras resigned as prime minister and paved the way for early elections.
    Greece's president gave the conservative opposition a chance to form a new government following Tsipras's resignation on Thursday (August 20), but the country appears almost certain to be heading for its third election in as many years next month.
    Tsipras is hoping to strengthen his hold on power in a snap election after seven months in office in which he fought Greece's creditors for a better bailout deal but had to cave in and accept more onerous terms.
    While many understood the reasons for Tsipras resignation and the looming snap election, they said they feared the economy will suffer.
    "I just think that elections will further delay economic recovery," Pensioner Vassiliki Spigou said.
    Vassilis Konstantinidis, unemployed resident of Athens said that despite being disappointed with the developments he was still prepared to support Tsipras.
    "We voted for him (Tsipras), for someone young, hoping that everything would go well. We had faith in him, that he would help us out in our situation, that he would take care of matters. I don't know, I think, I still support him," said Vassilis Konstantinidis.
    Greek newspapers highlighted the split in Syriza, with Kathimerini newspaper headline running "Going to elections with a civil war raging in the left" and Ta Nea newspaper headline writing "One against all," over a picture of Tsipras.
    The dissident Syriza lawmakers, led by veteran leftist and Tsipras' former energy minister, Panagiotis Lafazanis, broke away on Friday and founded the Popular Unity party, the third biggest force in parliament behind the dominant Syriza and conservative opposition New Democracy.
    During a meeting with Lafazanis, parliament speaker Zoe Konstantopoulou, criticized the government's actions.
    "This process began with a government that chose to resign furtively, without first informing the parliament and the speaker of the parliament," said Konstantopoulou, who many speculate will join forces with Popular Unity once elections are called.
    Junior coalition leader Panos Kammenos, blamed Lafazanis for the government's collapse.
    "Mr. Lafazanis is the one who brought down the government. If he forms a party, I don't see a reason why we should work with him, considering that if he stayed in government and continued to have Alexis Tsipras' support - thanks to whom he (Lafazanis) got elected in the first place - he could have remained in a government that had so much more work to do," said Kammenos during a news conference on Friday.
    The head of Greece's centrist Potami party said the country must hold elections as soon as possible.
    "Based on how things have developed and considering that Mr. Tsipras has refused to help form a government with his parliamentary group, I believe that a government cannot be formed with the current parliament," Potami party leader Stavros Theodorakis told a news conference after meeting the main opposition New Democracy party leader Evangelos Meimarakis.
    Under Greece's constitution, the three biggest parties in parliament are given a three-day mandate to form a government following Tsipras's resignation.
    The mandate is currently held by the New Democracy but if it fails to form the new government, the mandate will pass on to Popular Unity party.
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