ATHENS, Greece -- Greek lawmakers are continuing a debate
in parliament to approve a massive new bailout deal after repeated
delays over procedure and dissent within the governing left-wing Syriza
party caused the session to last through the night.
The
draft deal for the 85 billion euro ($93 billion) package was to be
voted at about 8:30 a.m. (0530GMT) Friday - hours before finance
ministers from the eurozone were to meet in Brussels to study the
agreement.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will
have to rely on support from opposition parties to gain approval for the
measures that add to sweeping new austerity measures demanded for the
new three-year program.
Dissenters in his own
party angrily challenged the government, accusing it of reneging on
promises it made before winning elections last January.
"I
feel ashamed for you. We no longer have a democracy ... but a eurozone
dictatorship," prominent party member Panagiotis Lafazanis said ahead of
the vote.
The revolt by dissenters who back
returning to a national currency could trigger early elections - a risk
that will be gauged by the level of dissent in the Friday vote.
Tsipras'
radical left party won elections in January on promises to repeal
similar budget austerity imposed in return for Greece's two previous
bailouts. His about-face, agreeing this week to tough terms with
creditor negotiators from the European Central Bank, European Commission
and International Monetary Fund, has led to outrage among hardliners
that now threatens to split the party.
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