Main opposition tables censure motion against coalition government

The proposal was tabled in Parliament by party leader Alexis Tsipras after riot police entered the premises of former public broadcaster ERT in the northern suburb of Aghia Paraskevi at 04:15 on Thursday

morning to end the main building’s occupation by former employees, who had been there since June.

Tsipras called the operation a “major institutional misdeed,” which he said “is inconceivable for us to accept”.

“The responsibility is heavy and historic, it is on the shoulders of all parties and each one must assume the part corresponding to him,” Tsipras added.

At the same time, the main opposition leader launched a stinging attack against the government for its economic policies.

The three-day Parliamentary discussion on the censure motion tabled by SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras against the government late in the afternoon will get underway on Friday at noon, it was announced.

Administrative Reform Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in Parliament that the government accepts the motion and, as unanimously decided by the Parliament, the discussion will be launched on Friday at noon to give more time to MPs from rural areas to register. The roll-call vote on the motion tabled will be held on Sunday night.

The motion tabled has “frozen” the discussion on the administrative reform ministry-sponsored draft law on the public sector just before it was voted on by Parliament.

According to the Greek Parliament Rules of Procedure all sides are given 48 hours to prepare.

Article 142, on the no-confidence motion, provides that the Parliament can withdraw its confidence from the government or a member of the government after a motion for a vote of no confidence. The motion will have to be signed by at least 1/6 of the MPs and clearly state the issues under discussion.

The motion is tabled to the President in a public Parliament session.

If the motion is signed by the minimum number of MPs required, the Parliament will interrupt its proceedings for two days, unless the government requests that a discussion on the motion starts immediately.

If there is no such request by the government, the discussion is launched two days after the motion is tabled and ends at 00:00 on the third day of the discussion with a roll-call vote held according to paragraph 3 of the preceding article.

The discussion is launched with speeches by two of the MPs who signed the motion for a vote of no confidence selected pursuant to article 91 paragraph 5. The MPs wishing to address the Parliament will have to register before the speeches of the two MPs end.

A motion for a vote of no confidence is accepted only if it is approved by the absolute majority of the MPs.

Source: AMNA