The 13 MPs of the preliminary committee on Papakonstantinou

The parliamentary staffs decided on the number 13 for the MPs that will make up the preliminary investigation committee for the Lagarde list case.

The initial parliamentary decision was for a 15-member board which would have consisted of 5 ND MPs, 3 from SYRIZA, 2 from PASOK and 1 from the other parties and the independent MPs.

This decision, however, caused a sharp reaction by SYRIZA, with Zoe Konstantopoulou denouncing an “attempt to control and limit even further the content and outcome of the investigation on the part of the government majority and increase PASOK and New Democracy’s participation in the committee,” and requesting a 12-person committee as provided by the Standing Orders of the Greek parliament.

In fact, a delegation of the opposition met with parliament president Evangelos Meimarakis, citing their objections. This resulted in yet another meeting of all parliamentary staffs in order to find the right balance.

Eventually, after the meetings that were reminiscent of the mess with the number of polls during the vote last Thursday, all parties came to the obvious conclusion: to go by the Standing Orders of the Greek parliament.

Under these circumstances, the committee will be composed of 5 ND members, 3 from SYRIZA and 1 from the rest of the political parties. The group of the 18 independent MPs will not be represented.

Apart from all this, and regarding the ND side, Christos Markogiannakis’ participation is considered certain, as he is being promoted for president, as well as that of Miltiadis Varvitsiotis and Adonis Georgiadis. The other 2 positions will probably go to Lazaros Tsavdaridis and Kostas Koutsogiannakopoulos.

SYRIZA will be represented by Zoe Konstantopoulou, Theodore Dritsis and Stavros Kontonis.

PASOK will be represented by Panagiotis Rigas, DIMAR by Vassilis Oikonomou, Golden Dawn by Ilias Kasidiaris, the Independent Greeks by Vasilis Kapernaros and KKE by Spyros Chalvatzis.