Tsipras Advises His MPs To Vote Down Bill Set To Ratify Gov't & Troika Decisions

The leader of the main opposition SYRIZA party, Alexis Tsipras said at the weekend that the ruling coalition of New Democracy and PASOK should take sides with the Greek people, not the memorandum policies.

In an interview on Sunday Eleftherotypia and while referring to the draft bill expected in Parliament that will ratify decisions between the government and the troika following the conclusion recently of negotiations, the leader of the main opposition was quoted as saying, that "...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."

He was stern when warned his deputies not to stray 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, the state agency quoted Tsipras as saying that "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 by the newspaper 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."

Following the interview, and in response to Tsipras' comments, government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said that Tsipras is revealing who he really is by his interview comments.

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