Greek govt to seek new confidence vote next week, presidential election in February (spokesperson)

Greece's ruling coalition will seek a fresh confidence vote on Monday with the opening of the parliament plenary session after the summer holidays, while the procedure for the election of the next President of the Republic will start in February 2015, Greek government spokeswoman Sophia Voultepsi announced on Wednesday.

The laconic surprise announcement was made at the end of a meeting between conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Evangelos Venizelos, Deputy prime minister, foreign affairs minister and leader of the socialist co-ruling PASOK party over the resumption of negotiations with troika lenders on Tuesday in regards to the conditions of the release of the last aid tranche to Athens this year under the current bailout program.
Under the Greek Constitution and parliament regulations, the vote is expected after a three-day debate in the assembly. Also on Monday Greek Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis is due to table the 2015 budget draft.

In first reactions after the announcement commentators on television news programs said that the initiative marks a clear sign of the two-party coalition that early general elections are not on its agenda.

Main opposition Radical Left SYRIZA party has pushed in recent months for the immediate conduction of snap elections, just two years after the June 2012 national polls, seeing as a window of opportunity the presidential election.

• Under the Greek Constitution the election of the Head of State which is regarded as a figure above political parties needs the approval of 180 MPs in the 300-member strong parliament.

Today, the ruling coalition of the New Democracy party of Samaras and PASOK holds 153 seats in the assembly and needs the backing of opposition parties and independent deputies to elect Karolos Papoulias' successor.

Amidst scenarios that Samaras could speed up the process and go to the polls before year end, Voultepsi stressed that in accordance with the Constitution the procedure for the election of the new Head of State will start in February, a month before the term of the outgoing president expires.
Sources: Xinhua -  globaltimes.cn
2-10-14
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• Ψήφο εμπιστοσύνης θα ζητήσει η κυβέρνηση τη Δευτέρα