Tsipras seeks fresh elections to quell party revolt
Greek Herald Friday 21st August, 2015
• The first euro 13 bn ($14.5bn) tranche of the bailout was received on Thursday allowing Greece to repay a euro 3.2 bn debt to the European Central Bank and avoid a default.
• In the interim, the country will be led by a woman, Vassiliki Thanou-Christophilou, the president of Greece's Supreme Court.
• Analysts say Tsipras announced the polls before the brunt of the new austerity measures kick in and while he still remains popular.
ATHENS - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras resigned Thursday night, calling for snap general elections viewed as a move to consolidate his power and push ahead with the euro 86 billion bailout plan inked with European creditors.
Tsipras' decision to quit came as Greece received the first tranche of funds under its 86 billion-euro bailout program, which had caused a split in the prime minister's party ranks.
The first euro 13 billion ($14.5 billion) tranche of the bailout was received on Thursday allowing Greece to repay a euro 3.2 billion debt to the European Central Bank and avoid a default.
"Now it will be up to the people to decide," Tsipras said. "I feel the deep moral, political obligation to submit to your judgment. Your vote will determine if we represented you courageously in talks with the creditors, if this agreement is enough for us to emerge from the crisis."
The election date is likely set for September 20.
Until then, the country will be led by Vassiliki Thanou-Christophilou, the president of Greece's Supreme Court.
Tsipras said on national television that his ruling mandate has "exhausted its limit and now people must decide anew."
The 41-year-old prime minister said he felt he had a "political and ethical responsibility" to allow the electorate to judge his administration's work since being elected only seven month ago, after it failed to live up to his Syriza party's promise to put an end to austerity.
He had campaigned against the harsh austerity measures in the last parliamentary elections, but then accepted the latest plan imposed by Greece's international creditors, which included more tax hikes, the privatisation of much of the public sector and other reforms in exchange for the third bailout loan of euro 86 billion.
He had been weighing his options after last week's parliament vote to approve the bailout conditions led to a large section of his own left-wing Syriza party voting against the government on the deal.
The bailout managed to pass through the Greek parliament only with the help of opposition parties.
The sudden announcement of elections leaves the rebel MPs with little time to prepare for the polls. Last week, 13 MPs announced the formation of an anti-bailout movement.
While handing over his resignation to President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, Tsipras said his government had "fully restored the country's financial stability" by agreeing to the new bailout.
"Now is the time to find the way to restore its political stability. Like our constitution stipulates, the way to do so is by resorting to the public's verdict," he said.
Analysts say Tsipras announced the polls before the brunt of the new austerity measures kick in and while he still remains popular.
Tsipras is betting that Greek voters, weary of instability, will support him in a new vote and enable him to form a new government minus the hard-line leftist dissenters.
Despite his reversal on the bailout plan, Tsipras is highly popular, with a recent poll in late July showing no other leader is in a strong position to challenge him.