Crucial bailout bill passes; 31 ruling SYRIZA MPs vote ‘no’

Thirty-one ruling SYRIZA MPs failed to “toe the party line” during the early morning vote in Parliament on a second package of prior actions linked to the third bailout memorandum agreed to with creditors last week. If the abstainers are included, 36 ruling party deputies did not ratify the bill.

Major “dissenters” including Parliament President Zoe Konstantopoulou and former minister Stratoulis and Lafazanis. A ‘yes’ surprise came by Yanis Varoufakis, who days earlier voted ‘no’ to the initial one-article framework for the “Greekment”.

In total, 230 MPs voted “yes”; 63 “no” and five abstained, declaring “present” in the vote for the entire draft bill, with minor differences coming in voting for each of the three articles that comprised the urgent legislation.