by Magda Panoutsopoulou
ATHENS
As Greek MPs debate the economic reform measures in the bailout agreement on Wednesday, support appears to be firming up for a 'yes' vote.
Passage of these measures by parliament will be the first step in restarting Greece's bailout demand with the European Stability Mechanism.
The discussion includes a joint session of the four relevant Parliamentary Committees using fast-track procedures, which means the entire bill, must be processed within 10 hours.
Voting is scheduled to take place late on Wednesday night.
PASOK leader Fofi Gennimata before her party’s parliamentary said “It was decided PASOK will vote in favor of the prior actions in parliament – but it is made clear that the responsibility for the management and implementation of the measures falls on the prime minister and SYRIZA,” she said.
Pasok has 13 MPs. A number of other opposition leaders have committed their parties to voting for the bill. With these votes, and most of those in the SYRIZA majority, the bill is expected to pass.
Meanwhile several Syriza MPs including Parliament president Zoi Kostantopoulou clearly stated that they will not vote in favor; Kostantopoulou, though, did not specify how she will vote. The Greek parliament permits a vote of 'present' indicating neither a 'yes' nor a 'no.'
Konstantopoulou on Wednesday in her address to a parliament committee meeting expressed her opposition to the agreement and to the urgent character of the draft law. She added that “It is clear that the parliament can't agree with this procedure and with this agreement."
"It is the parliament's duty as well as of that of the institutional guarantors to not allow this blackmail against the government to be completed. We must, all of us, ask of the so-called partners to implement their engagements of respect to democracy and to the parliament's procedure."
Left-wing ministers have already vowed to lead a 'no' vote against the proposals with Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis upon his arrival in parliament stating that "I will not vote the third memorandum. The country can't move forward with the memorandums. The country is destroyed."
Meanwhile the country’s banking sector continues to be paralyzed with capital controls imposed since last month; Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in his televised interview with public broadcaster ERT said “The reopening of banks depends on the sanctioning of the deal, which will take place in a month.”
