Greece passes bailout bill but government majority shrinks Thursday Nov 19,2015

 

Greece approved a reform bill on Thursday Nov 19,2015 to secure further bailout funds from its international lenders but Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' parliamentary majority shrank to just three seats after two dissenting lawmakers were expelled.

The bill, outlining regulation on tax arrears and home foreclosures, paves the way for the dusbursement of 2 Billion Euros($2.15 Billion)to pay state arrears and a further 10 billion euro to recapitalise Greece's top four banks.

The reforms were agreed by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipra's Govt and its lenders on Tuesday Nov 17,2015 after weeks of negotiations and are key for it to complete the first review of a new aid programme worth up to 86 billion euros which Greece signed up to this summer.

However the defections of Nikos Nikolopoulos of the right-wing Independent Greeks party and Stathis Panagoulis of Tsipras' Syriza party further weakened the left-right coalition.

Nikolopoulos voted against the bailout bill, while Panagoulis abstained. Both were expelled from the ruling coalition's parliamentary group, meaning the government can now count on 153 votes in the 300-seat chamber.

That is exactly the number of "yes" votes obtained by the bill on Thursday Nov 19,2015

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (L) talks to Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos during a meeting at the presidential palace in Athens, Greece November 20, 2015.