Parliament rejected on Tuesday evening the separate motions submitted by the opposition parties – PASOK on one side, and SYRIZA – New Left on the other – calling for the establishment of a preliminary investigation committee regarding former Ministers of Rural Development and Food, Makis Voridis and Lefteris Avgenakis. The vote was marked by the conspicuous mass absence of New Democracy MPs.
The session, which stretched into the early hours of the morning, was fraught with tension. Just before the voting process began, opposition lawmakers raised an objection regarding procedural irregularities due to the absence of New Democracy MPs. However, the presiding officer, Giorgos Georgantas – himself a member of New Democracy – dismissed the objection and proceeded with procedural announcements for the placement of ballot boxes in the chamber.
PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis and SYRIZA parliamentary group leader Sokratis Famellos both stated they do not recognize the outcome of the vote, calling it a “violation of democratic principles.” They accused New Democracy of shielding the former ministers by orchestrating the absence of its MPs and subsequently walked out of the proceedings.
Adding to the criticism, former PASOK president Evangelos Venizelos condemned the situation as a “flagrant breach of the Constitution” and a “multi-level degradation of democratic institutions.”
The government had signaled, days in advance, its likely intention to boycott the discussion on the formation of the committee, per “Kathimerini”. Many New Democracy MPs were reportedly in their electoral districts or had already departed the Parliament by the time of the vote. Nevertheless, there was no official communication regarding the parliamentary group’s stance until late in the evening.
The opposition’s proposals were ultimately voted down, deepening the rift in Parliament and fueling accusations of institutional manipulation and political cover-up.
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