ATHENS: Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras confronted a widening rebellion within his leftist Syriza party as parliament voted to approve the country’s third financial rescue by foreign creditors in five years, foreign media sources reported.
The vote was held after daybreak on Friday after lawmakers bickered through the night over procedural matters. Euro zone finance ministers are expected to approve the vital aid for Athens later on Friday.
Thanks to support from pro-euro opposition parties, the 85 billion euro ($95 billion) bailout program easily passed with 222 votes in the 300-seat chamber.
Tsipras will call a confidence vote in parliament after Greece makes a debt payment to the ECB on August 20, a government official said. A senior lawmaker, Makis Voridis from the opposition New Democracy party immediately said his party would not vote in favour of the government, raising the odds that the government could be toppled.
