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Patras: citizens demand arrest of MPs voting in favor of “prior actions” draft law
While Greek MPs are voting in the Parliament a draft law containing a set of “prior actions”, two residents of Patras, Peloponnese, went to local police station demanding the arrest of those MPs who will vote in favor. According to the two men, supreme court ruling has declared “giving over national sovereignty” as “high treason”.
“With the draft law, Greece’s creditors can claim national or private assets and wealth, if the loan is not being paid back,” the two men claimed, according to local newspaper Patras Times. “Similar actions have been submitted by other citizens across the country,” the newspaper added.
The draft law containing a set of so-called “prior actions” triggered a heated debate between government and opposition parties as the ‘prior actions’ were originally included in edicts than in a draft law, a fact that would practically bypass the Parliament and prevent a debate. After opposition parties objections, the prior actions were included in a draft bill.
This did not hinder left wing SYRIZA and nationalist Independent Greeks to express concern about one of the ”prior actions”, saying that the text of Greece’s amended loan agreement could mean that Greece could lose its assets and natural wealth to its creditors.
Part of the amendment states that Greece “irrevocably and unconditionally waives all immunity to which it is or may become entitled, in respect of itself or its assets, from legal proceedings in relation to this Amendment Agreement, including, without limitation, immunity from suit, judgment or other order, from attachment, arrest or injunction prior to judgment, and from execution and enforcement against its assets to the extent not prohibited by mandatory law.” (ekathimerini)
Coalition MPs dismissed this interpretation, pointing out that any seizure of Greek assets would also need approval of local courts.
PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos accused opposition MPs of “intentionally misleading” voters.
The “prior actions” include laws relating to Greece’s amended loan agreement, tighter fiscal control over ministries and the deregulation of some sectors of the economy like state-run enterprises, municipalities and issues like payrolls. The “prior actions” have been demanded by the Troika and were together with the new taxation system raising income and corporate taxes. a precondition for the disbursement of further bailout funding.
In January, Athens expect a loan tranche of 9.2 billion euro.
Rapporteur Costas Skrekas of New Democracy said the draft law was part of the reform drive Greece needed to help its economy recover.
AMEN!
2013-01-14 13:15:20
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