Kammenos: Time to move toward a stable election system

"ANEL and SYRIZA will arrive at a joint government proposal," he said, expressing hope that a common denominator will also be found with the other political forces, with the exception of main opposition New Democracy "whose president has made specific statements on the issue."

The head of the junior party in Greece's coalition government, Kammenos noted that such a change would also be closer to decisions taken by both coalition leader SYRIZA and his own ANEL party before they formed a ruling alliance. These included the right to vote at 17, election of MPs by Greeks living abroad, direct election of the president by the people, abolition of the law on ministers' liability, parliamentary immunity, a stable tax system, whether the Court of Audit should remain in the justice sector, protection of the national identity and changing article 28 of the Constitution on protecting national sovereignty.

He said the 3 pct minimum of the national vote for entering Parliament will remain, while the 50-seat bonus for the winning party "must be reduced substantially".

The meeting with Kammenos was the first in a series of meetings that Tsipras intends to have with the heads of the political parties to discuss proposed changes to election law and for a revision of the Constitution. On Thursday Tsipras will have successive meetings with Communist Party (KKE) general secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas, PASOK leader Fofi Gennimata and with main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Finally, on Friday Tsipras will receive Potami leader Stavros Theodorakis and the president of Centrists Union Vassilis Leventis.

It was time for the government to move toward creating a stable election system with greater elements of simple proportional representation, Independent Greeks (ANEL) leader and Defence Minister Panos Kammenos said on Tuesday, after meeting Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to discuss changing election law and a constitutional revision.
"ANEL and SYRIZA will arrive at a joint government proposal," he said, expressing hope that a common denominator will also be found with the other political forces, with the exception of main opposition New Democracy "whose president has made specific statements on the issue."
The head of the junior party in Greece's coalition government, Kammenos noted that such a change would also be closer to decisions taken by both coalition leader SYRIZA and his own ANEL party before they formed a ruling alliance. These included the right to vote at 17, election of MPs by Greeks living abroad, direct election of the president by the people, abolition of the law on ministers' liability, parliamentary immunity, a stable tax system, whether the Court of Audit should remain in the justice sector, protection of the national identity and changing article 28 of the Constitution on protecting national sovereignty.
He said the 3 pct minimum of the national vote for entering Parliament will remain, while the 50-seat bonus for the winning party "must be reduced substantially".

The meeting with Kammenos was the first in a series of meetings that Tsipras intends to have with the heads of the political parties to discuss proposed changes to election law and for a revision of the Constitution. On Thursday Tsipras will have successive meetings with Communist Party (KKE) general secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas, PASOK leader Fofi Gennimata and with main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Finally, on Friday Tsipras will receive Potami leader Stavros Theodorakis and the president of Centrists Union Vassilis Leventis.