Govt sources: Loan agreement extension won’t be sent to Parliament for ratification

Excuses given via a … non paper citing government sources

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ decision to bring the last-minute extension of a loan agreement with Greece’s eurozone creditors to the Greek parliament for discussion – and not for ratification – was confirmed on Monday by government sources.

Via a non-paper that was released on Moday, the leftist government attempted to justify this decision by underlining that this is not a new loan agreement and therefore, no ratification is required by Parliament.

The unnamed government sources also noted that the new agreement, which will supposedly arise at the end of the current four-month extension, will be tabled in Parliament for debate and ratification.

The following eight points were underlined by government sources today:

1. PM Tsipras will submit the issue of the 4-month extension of the existing loan agreement to the Greek parliament for discussion, so that all party leaders can be briefed have their questions answered.

2. The Greek government has not signed a new agreement but simply extended the expiration date of the current one.

3. The extension of the loan agreement has already been signed by all parties involved last Thursday. No ratification by the Greek Parliament has been required by the ESM as there is no international demand.

4. The German Bundestag did not ratify any loan agreement but simply approved the Eurogroup decision, and the list of the reforms sent by the Greek FinMin Yanis Varoufakis.

5. The central goal of the government remains the abolition of the memorandum and the renegotiation of the loan agreement. The first part of the goal has been achieved. In relation to the loan agreement, the country has secured an extension that will allow it to negotiate on terms that are sustainable for the country and the people… The request for a new ratification of the current agreement by the Greek Parliament, when there is no such demand, is not as innocent as it sounds. “Some people are trying to force the present Parliament to make decisions and commitments that will create negative faits accomplis during negotiations,” the Government sources say.

6. The extension of the loan agreement doesn’t mean an extension of the memorandum

7. The new agreement, which will arise at the end of the four-month period, will be presented to Parliament for ratification.

8. A draft bill relating to the so-called “humanitarian crisis” was tabled in Parliament on Monday.