Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 14-03-23

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] SYRIZA leader calls on deputies to vote down bill; gov't spokesman responds

[01] SYRIZA leader calls on deputies to vote down bill; gov't spokesman responds

Referring to the draft bill expected in Parliament that will ratify decisions between the government and the troika following the conclusion recently of negotiations, Tsipras was quoted by the newspaper as saying, "...deputies are being called upon to align themselves with popular will, not with memorandum directives. If they do this and take the people's side, instead of that of the memorandum, we will consider that a positive step."

Tsipras said that any distancing by deputies from the official party line "we will welcome without a second thought, because our priority is to defend the rights of the people. These measures will be voted down and end anyway, when the people vote on May 25," the date of European Parliament elections and the second round of local government elections.

Charging the government with agreeing to a new memorandum, Tsipras said "we will not allow this to remain secret up to voting day". Referring to the primary surplus for 2013, he said "this surplus came out of the meat grinder - they slaughtered society and now celebrate over its ruins. They are keeping hidden from the Greek people and the deputies the agreement they have reached."

Asked what he would tell German Chancellor Angela Merkel if he were to meet with her, the opposition leader said, "I would tell her that Greece and Europe have a right to be treated the same way her country was treated in 1953, and that the time has come for Germany to stop being the bad payers of history. The WWII occupation loan and the war reparations are an unfulfilled historic obligation that we will soon claim in the most formal way possible."

In response, government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said that Tsipras is revealing who he really is by his interview comments.

The spokesman added, "Tsipras is called upon deputies again to revolt. Again, he will not succeed, but once again he shows the quality of his character."

[File photo: Tsipras in Parliament, ANA-MPA/Orestis Panagiotou]

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