Main opposition New Democracy (ND) party leadership candidate Vangelis Meimarakis suffered a huge loss on Saturday, December 26, when his sister died after battling with cancer.

His sister illness was the reason why he had been absent from the voting session of the same-sex partnership law that he had not attended due to “personal reasons”. In a later TV interview he said that he would have voted in favor of the bill.

The funeral of Vasso Meimaraki is to take place at 11 a.m. on Monday, December 28, at Zografo Cemetery. New Democracy interim president Yiannis Plakiotakis expressed his sorrow over the loss of Vasso Meimaraki on behalf of the conservative party. She leaves behind three children.