Parties decide on constitutional revision articles for next parliament term




Parties voted in parliament on Thursday night on the constitutional articles they agreed to revise, ending this parliamentary term’s responsibilities in terms of the constitutional revision.
Each MP voted individually on every article proposed for revision under ruling SYRIZA and main opposition New Democracy.
Articles receiving from 151 to 179 votes will need to pass with 180 votes minimum in the next parliament term, following national elections.
Articles that received 180 or more votes in this parliament will only need a minimum of 151 votes in the next parliament term.
Among the articles which received a wide approval for revision in the next term are those related to voting for the president of the republic (two articles, receiving 224 votes each), and those relating to lifting immunity of ministers so they may be prosecuted (two articles, receiving 237 and 255 votes each), all proposed by Syriza.
In summary, some of the most significant clauses proposed by SYRIZA approved for revision are:
– The procedure for electing the president of the republic and its potential diassociation from national elections
– The finalization of an electoral system of so-called simplified proportional representation in both local and national elections, whereby the parties are represented in the legislature according to the share of votes they win without a bonus of extra seats awarded for electoral percentage performance, as is the case in the so-called ‘reinforced proportional representation’
– The religious neutrality of the state
– The further enhancement of individual and collective social rights
– An end to discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation
– Referendums and popular legislative initiatives
The following articles proposed by main opposition conservative party New Democracy were approved for revision:
– The right of parliamentary minority parties to comprise up to two inquiry committees
– The judicial equation of civil and military courts
– The undertaking of suspended court cases by the Court of Audit

Source: ANA-MPA

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