Greek parliament passes second crucial bailout bill Thursday July 23,2015

 

Greece's Parliament on Thursday July 23,2015 passed legislation on a second batch of reforms needed to help unlock a huge international bailout for the country's stricken economy.

The legislation passed by a resounding 230 votes and 63 against with five abstentions out of the 298 members of parliament present, after a marathon debate stretching into the early hours that nonetheless exposed deep divisions in the governing Syriza party

The legislation covers changes to the civil justice system, a bank deposit protection scheme and measures to shore up the liquidity of Greece's banks -- reforms that had to pass if Athens was to move forward in bailout negotiations with its creditors.

While the new law will come as a relief to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras -- who is negotiating a new bailout worth up to 86 billion euros ($93 billion) over three years -- it saw him suffer a major rebellion amongst MPs in his leftist Syriza party for the second time in a week

Thursday's vote was seen as a key test of Tsipras' authority after he was forced to reshuffle his cabinet following a mutiny by nearly a fifth of his MPs in a separate vote on the first tranche of tough economic reforms demanded by the Greek's creditors.

While the prime minister trimmed the rebellion from 39 'no' votes and abstentions last week to 36 on Thursday, in both cases he was forced to rely on opposition parties to get the legislation passed

Some 6,000 anti-austerity demonstrators had protested near parliament ahead of Wednesday night's debate, lobbing a handful of petrol bombs in the direction of the police, who had thrown up a ring of steel around the building after riots during last week's vote on austerity measures.

As Greek lawmakers gathered Wednesday July 22,2015 to vote on a bill that would institute more economic reforms demanded by the nation's creditors, crowds amassed outside the Hellenic Parliament to decry the latest austerity measures.

The vote, expected in the early hours of Thursday July 23,2015, has spurred anger among Greeks who called for an end to austerity when they elected the ruling Syriza party, only to have the government ultimately accept additional harsh economic policies in order to secure bailout funds.

A protest banner reads "NO to the new barbaric memorandum. Either with the monopolies or with the needs of the people. There is no other way