A proposal by the main opposition PASOK party to launch a parliamentary inquiry into a wiretapping scandal was rejected in Parliament Friday after failing to secure the required absolute majority of 151 votes.
In the 300-member chamber, 161 MPs were present for the nominal roll-call vote. The proposal was defeated with 155 votes against and six in favor. The ruling New Democracy party’s Giorgos Vlachos was absent. ND holds 156 seats in Parliament.
Those voting in favor included the five MPs of the anti-establishment Course of Freedom party and independent MP Nikos Papadopoulos.
All other opposition lawmakers had walked out of the chamber before the vote, following leaders’ speeches, in protest at the procedural framework governing the ballot.
The dispute centered on the majority threshold required. Opposition parties argued that a lower threshold of 120 votes should apply, as proposed by PASOK, while the government insisted that an absolute majority was required.
