President cannot be elected ‘without apostasies,’ says SYRIZA’s Tsipras

Opposition SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras on Monday accused the coalition government of stirring “apostasies” over the election of the next president of the republic after the term of incumbent Karolos Papoulias expires in February.

“Let us suppose that in this climate of terror and blackmail, from this political stench, Mr [Prime Minister Antonis] Samaras manages to get the 180 votes for president,” Tsipras told Skai TV on Monday night, referring to the super-majority needed in the 300-seat House to elect a president.

“What then? He will then have to implement a program that is broadly and deeply opposed by the majority of the Greek people. If 180 do vote, then that means there will be apostasies,” said Tsipras, reiterating that for the government, with a majority of 155 seats, to gather 180 votes of support it will mean that at least 25 MPs will have to go against their party line.

The opposition chief also called on Samaras to schedule early elections, saying that it is the “only honorable thing to do.”

Asked about the toughening stance of the country’s international creditors, Tsipras said that the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund are “trying to get what they can” before they “start negotiations with the next government, which they know will be SYRIZA.”

“They see that the political time of this government is running out so they are trying to wipe the table clean,” the 40-year-old leftist said. “They are trying to get what they can now.”

Tsipras was also critical of the German stance in Greece’s negotiations with foreign lenders as well as toward other nations in the eurozone with struggling economies, saying that “there are no tenants and owners in the EU. We are not tenants in the EU and there is no such thing as countries with more rights than others.”