Three more independent MPs of the Greek Parliament will vote for Stavros Dimas at tomorrow’s second round of presidential election. Independent MPs Vassilis Economou and George Kurakos decided to support the candidate of New Democracy and PASOK after Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras proposed cabinet changes by introducing new pro-European politicians in the Government and agreement to elections at the end of 2015 if there is a national consensus on Dimas. In addition, a positive vote is expected by MP Pavlos Melas, who even though voted against in the first round, announced that this time he will support Dimas.
Thus, the Government has guaranteed 163 public votes of MPs, 160 from the last time and three new votes for tomorrow at noon. A total of eight independent MPs announced that they will support Dimas, and the question is whether others will respond to Samaras’ invitation. As in the first round, so in the second, a two thirds majority, i.e. 200 out of 300 MPs, is needed to elect the president. It is not certain whether the second round will decide the president, making the third round decisive and it will solve the dilemma of whether Greece will awake with a president or the announcement of early elections on 30th of December.
The media interpreted Samaras’ offer for a national consensus and to delay elections for a year, i.e. for the end of 2015, as a softening of the position of the Greek Prime Minister, who yesterday held the position either Dimas for President or elections in January, without considering any package for a national consensus and reconstruction of the Government.
Opposition party SYRIZA, which remains the most popular political option first in the polls in the media, is convinced that the Government won’t be able to get the necessary support and that there will be elections in January. They are not even considering to accept the thrown gauntlet for an agreement for early elections in 2015 in order to agree to vote for Dimas because they don’t see the proposal as the realization of their demands and they are sure that if early elections are announced, the people will give its trust for the future of the state to them.
