Political developments with the commensurate statements by high-profile lawmakers continued on Friday, a day after PM Alexis Tsipras tendered his resignation and decision to hold snap elections.
The split within SYRIZA, as nearly 30 deputies defected to form a doctrinaire anti-bailout party, was emerged as the dominant issue, along with a mandate handed to main opposition leader Evangelos Meimarakis to form a government — a more-or-less remote prospect.
“It is not revolutionary to choose escape from reality, or the creation of a virtual reality; it’s revolutionary to open roads, even where there are none,” Tsipras told members of his party political secretariat.
Dragasakis
Reacting to a statement by Meimarakis, who said he’s back a coalition government with current government VP Yannis Dragasakis as its head, the latter said
dismissed any such possibility. The latter merely thanked Meimarakis but said such a prospect merely serves certain goals by the main opposition.
Theodorakis
Centrist Potami leader Stavros Theodorakis, on his part, said it was impossible to form a government from the current Parliament. He made the statement after meeting with Meimarakis, while calling for the snap election to occur as soon as possible.
Lafazanis
The head of the breakaway Popular Unity, Panagiotis Lafazanis, said his new far-left formation aims to abolish the latest bailout, write-off a major portion of Greece’s debt and to reform the country.
Speaking at a press conference, the diehard anti-capitalist Lafazanis referred to a wide-ranging “anti-bailout front”.
He also sharply criticized his former SYRIZA comrades, particularly Tsipras, for the summertime call to new elections.
True to his political beginnings in Greece’s Communist Party (KKE), Lafazanis also said he new formation favors the nationalization of banks and state control over public utilities.
Konstantopoulou
Finally, brash Parliament President Zoi Konstantopoulou accused Tsipras of failing to brief her over his government’s resignation. She also expressed annoyance over the fact that she was bypassed by the president of the republic, who handed a mandate to form a government to Meimarakis.
