PRESS RELEASE
Tsipras Resigns; Greece Goes to Snap Elections
Aug. 20, 2015 (EIRNS)—Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announced his resignation on a nationwide television address this evening, sending the country to a snap election. Since the previous election was less than a year ago, the Greek Constitution mandates that the President hand a mandate to the leader of the opposition party; in this case, the New Democracy Party, which will have three days to form a government. If it fails, the mandate will be turned over to the third-largest party, which is now the fascist Golden Dawn. It is unlikely that a new government could be formed, in which case elections will have to be held within 30 days of the announcement of elections. Dates being mentioned are Sept. 20, or sometime in October.
Tsipras decided for snap elections, because the left wing of his Syriza party, known as the Left Platform, comprising as many as 43 of Syriza’s 149 MPs in the parliament of 300, voted against the new bailout deal.
The Constitution calls for a member of Greece’s Supreme Court to be named as Prime Minister in an interim government. That person could be Vassiliki Thanou-Christophilou. In 2012, as president of Greece’s Association of Judges and Public Prosecutors, she took a leading part in a protest of judicial officials at the Supreme Court against the cutting of their wages, which they declared was unconstitutional.
