Call for PPC referendum rejected

The Parliamentary Assembly unanimously rejected a motion, on Friday, to discuss staging a referendum on the part-privatization of the public power corporation PPC. The main opposition party, leftist SYRIZA, the Greek Communist Party (KKE), Independent Greeks (ANEL), and the parliamentary group Independent Democratic MPs, all opted to abstain from the session. Independent MP Nikitas Kaklamanis attended but did not commit to a position.

The motion to discuss staging a referendum on the part-privatization plan for PPC, dubbed “Little DEI”, needed to be backed by 40% backing of the house’s 300 MPs to proceed.

The coalition government, comprised of the New Democracy and PASOK parties, took the opportunity to claim that the discussion for a referendum was rejected, after claiming that a separate proposal by KKE differed significantly, meaning that the  party’s votes could not count for the 120 votes that were needed.

The Democratic Left (DIMAR) and the neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn, which both attended the parliamentary session, ended up boycotting the vote. However, DIMAR requested that KKE’s votes be counted, to avoid setting a bad parliamentary precedent.

The Minister of State, Mr. Dimitris Stamatis, accused SYRIZA, the party which initiated the campaign for a referendum on PPC’s part-privatization, of pursuing  political games.