Allegations that the government tampered the leaked dialogue between the station master in Larissa and the train driver of the Ιntercity before the Tempi disaster set the political scenery in Greece on fire on Sunday.
Five opposition parties demanded “no confidence vote” against the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, a challenge ruling New Democracy has apparently accepted.
It was first the socialist PASOK that demanded a ‘non-confidence vote”, while main opposition SYRIZA asked for non-confidence vote, resignation of the Prime Minister and early elections.
The no confidence vote is supported also by New Left, communist KKE and nationalist “Greek Solution” media reported.
It is not clear yet, if the remaining three opposition parties far-right the Spartans and Niki as well as left-wing Freedom Course will back the motion.
“The government accepts the challenge of a motion of no confidence vote by opposition parties,” spokesman Pavlos Marinakis announced early Sunday evening, after PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis said he will submit the application on Tuesday morning..
Androulakis had called on “the parties of the democratic spectrum” to join the no-confidence motion in Parliament based on a report by Sunday newspaper to tovima.gr.
The newspaper alleged that conversation between the Larissa station master and the trains’ drivers and other persons had been stitched together and were leaked to pro-government media just hours after the train disaster to give the impression the deadly accident was exclusively due to human error, that is the stationmaster.
Greek constitution on No confidence motion
According to the Greek constitution, the submission of a motion of no confidence against the government needs the signatures of 1/6 of the 300 deputies in total, that is 50 MPs’ signatures.
The debate on the motion of confidence or no confidence begins two days after the submission of the relevant motion, unless the Government, in the case of a motion of no confidence, requests that the debate begin immediately, which cannot be extended beyond three days from its start.
The vote on the motion of confidence or no-confidence is held immediately after the debate ends, but it can be postponed for forty-eight hours, if the Government so requests.
A motion of no confidence is accepted only if it is approved by an absolute majority of the entire number of deputies.
Even all opposition parties join forces their 142 MPs are not enough to pass the motion – unless, some ND lawmakers vote in favor or abstain.
Already media and Greeks on social media comment that a no confidence vote could turn as a boomerang for the opposition just months before the European elections in June. It could have the exact opposite effect to bring together ND voters who are currently disappointed from the conservative government due to cuts in health sector, high prices for housing and constantly rising prices for food and other essential items, just to mention a few.
PM Mitsotakis is currently in Canada for an official visit.
