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Alexis Tsipras has much thinking to do. AP/Press Association Images

Greek rebels form new party ahead of snap election

It’s called Popular Unity.

Uopdated: 22.37

SOME HARDLINE MPs from the Greek Syriza party are to break away and form their own political party according to local media.

A day after Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras resigned and announced a snap election, 25 colleagues have now committed to a new party, Laiki Enotita (Popular Unity).

The 25 members have been listed in the Greek newspaper Ta Nea and include those who were opposed to Greece’s latest bailout deal.

It will be lead by former energy minster Panagiotis Lafazani.

Former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis was not listed among its members.

Tsipras had argued that the recent €86 billion rescue package, Greece’s third bailout, was the only way to prevent the country from defaulting and crashing out of the eurozone.

But for furious critics within his hard-left party Syriza say agreement represented capitulation to “blackmail” from the creditors and an unacceptable betrayal of everything they stood for.

“Every corner and beauty of Greece is being sold,” railed parliament speaker Zoe Constantopoulou, decrying the bailout deal as a “crime against humanity”.

Despite her strong objections to the deal, Constantopoulou was not listed among the 25 Syriza members who’ve signed up for the breakaway party.

The fresh political uncertainty shook the markets, with stocks in Athens shedding 2.5%, while Greece’s European creditors urged it to implement the terms of the massive new bailout whoever wins the poll, which is likely to be held on September 20.

FRANCE 24 English / YouTube

Tsipras has been battling a major rebellion within the party for weeks, with dozens of his MPs refusing to back the bailout in three successive parliamentary votes.

Each time, he was forced to rely on the opposition to get crucial bills approving the rescue passed — meaning he had effectively lost his parliamentary majority.

Yesterday, he once again leapt fiercely to the bailout’s defence as he announced his resignation, saying: “I want to submit to the Greek people everything I have done so that they can decide once more.”

Despite being unable to keep his lawmakers in line, the 41-year-old nonetheless remains widely trusted by Greeks as the best man to be leading the country through the crisis, and is far ahead of any of his rivals in opinion polls.

With reporting by © – AFP 2015

Originally published:

Read: Alexis Tsipras has resigned and a snap election has been called in Greece >

Read: Tsipras ‘doesn’t regret’ leading Greece into third multi-billion euro bailout >

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107 Comments
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    Mute Massive Willy
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    Mar 20th 2014, 4:57 PM

    Terrible sad on everyone involved :(

    145
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    Mute Stephen Harmon
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    Mar 20th 2014, 5:48 PM

    Anyone who never made a mistake, has never made anything. But how vastly the consequences can vary from the same type of mistake in two different scenarios is a really cruel fact. Sad for all involved me thinks.

    96
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    Mute dauhee
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    Mar 20th 2014, 7:12 PM

    There are regulations in place to prevent such shoddy workmanship in this field. Inexcusable. It’s not like having a go at painting and splashing a bit on the skirting board

    40
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    Mute Stephen Harmon
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    Mar 20th 2014, 7:35 PM

    If only you could regulate against human error, it’s always been there and it always will.

    44
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    Mute Vanessa Doyle
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    Mar 20th 2014, 9:21 PM

    Every rented accommodation holiday or otherwise should be fitted with a carbon monoxide detector.

    61
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    Mute Ben Gunn
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    Mar 20th 2014, 5:14 PM

    The judge heard all of the evidence and had the full reports from the varoius investigation bodies. I think that puts him in a better position than than armchair commentators when it comes to sentencing.

    58
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Mar 20th 2014, 5:00 PM

    Comments should be closed.

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    Mute Glen
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    Mar 20th 2014, 5:12 PM

    Paul nobody is forcing you to read comments

    56
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Mar 20th 2014, 5:18 PM

    Glen,
    There’s an ongoing trial in this jurisdiction.

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    Mute Glen
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    Mar 20th 2014, 5:29 PM

    Had it anything to do with this one or is it similar.

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    Mute The Polar Bear
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    Mar 20th 2014, 5:29 PM

    Not with these people

    3
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Mar 20th 2014, 5:33 PM

    Sam Aritan called it above.

    3
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    Mute Glen
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    Mar 20th 2014, 5:42 PM

    He said similar not ongoing

    7
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Mar 20th 2014, 6:05 PM

    Yes,
    I have reported my own comment to thejournal.ie with a request that comments be closed.
    This is why.
    http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/plumber-returned-for-trial-over-death-of-woman-in-kinsale-hotel-1.1548926
    I hope you see the reason now, and that comments be closed and removed.

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    Mute Glen
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    Mar 20th 2014, 6:13 PM

    Paul
    Point taking after reading that. It could hinder a jury’s decision … Good call!

    11
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    Mute dauhee
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    Mar 20th 2014, 7:10 PM

    This is a different case so your request is completely unreasonable. Maybe you should move to China where they are more obliging with censorship

    23
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Mar 20th 2014, 7:16 PM

    Dauhee,
    Your publicly debating an issue that may shortly be going before a jury. It’s not censorship, I’m attempting to avert an issue which could affect the outcome of a trial.

    10
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Mar 20th 2014, 10:18 PM

    Dan,
    Thejournal removed links on the St.Patricks day assault for fear of compromising a trial.
    What would you like to say about this story that doesn’t make you look stupid?

    3
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    Mute Sam Aritan
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    Mar 20th 2014, 10:51 PM

    I actually was hinting at it in my post above, Paul. in fact, when i saw the comments were open my first thought was of surprise.

    I’m assuming they are closely monitoring the thread just in case some dope decides to spout about other ones down south.

    But it was risky on the Journal’s behalf I would have thought.

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    Mute Dave O'Sullivan
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    Mar 20th 2014, 10:55 PM

    Separate cases. If a murder trial had just been concluded should comments be blocked for fear of compromising other on going murder cases?

    11
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    Mute dauhee
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    Mar 20th 2014, 11:12 PM

    Paul, you’re the one that keeps bringing up the case-that-shouldn’t-be-uttered. Maybe you could just stop trying to create an issue??????

    6
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Mar 20th 2014, 11:12 PM

    If a jury has to be selected, why give the defence fuel to apply for a mistrial?

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    Mute Jason Meagher
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    Mar 21st 2014, 12:51 AM

    Paul, I am sure the defence lawyers will point out any risk of undue prejudice caused by media reports on the matter and the judge will make the call as to whether it has or not

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    Mute Jason Meagher
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    Mar 21st 2014, 12:55 AM

    Sorry didn’t see that comment there

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    Mute Sam Aritan
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    Mar 21st 2014, 1:05 AM

    I understand that, Dave. But the Journal is not monitored 24/7.

    I would take a different immediate view to Paul (albeit slightly) in that I would have thought the Journal were the ones taking the risk of some dope coming on here and talking about similar ongoing cases in our own jurisdiction.

    Either way, it is risky for them. But it’s their call, not mine.

    As long as the comments are not out of bounds, I welcome the thread being open.

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    Mute Sam Aritan
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    Mar 20th 2014, 5:00 PM

    We’ve had similar cases down South too. Tragic.

    The sentencing sounds incredibly lenient to me. I understand it’s a manslaughter charge, but two years for two teenaged deaths. I see it as no different to drink driving and causing deaths. Or gross negligence causing deaths.

    24
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    Mute Richard Sweeney
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    Mar 20th 2014, 7:09 PM

    No different to drink driving? this guy made a mistake at work and people died, tragic for everyone involved. nothing like drink driving.

    57
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    Mute joney
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    Mar 20th 2014, 7:37 PM

    No he did not make a mistake, he is a gas safe registered fitter & will be all to aware of the consequences of cutting corners when carrying out this type in installation, unfortunately this type of thing is happening to frequently, I have seen it before in London & in a hotel of all places, where an existing flue was modified to join onto a new gas boiler installation, tape was used to make up the shortfall between the boiler & flue, & to use that engineering term – it was a bodge job. In this case two young people are dead because of carelessness, which could have been avoided by carrying out the correct checks on completion or using a flue specialist to make sure everything was working in a safe manner.

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    Mute Sam Aritan
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    Mar 20th 2014, 7:39 PM

    “An investigation was started by the PSNI and the Health and Safety Executive NI’s Gas Safety Inspection team found that sections of the flue were not secured properly at the bend (pictured). Screws were missing and the sections did not slot into each other properly.”

    That’s not a mistake. If screws were found to be missing in an airplane and people were killed, I don’t think one would call it a mistake.

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    Mute Glen
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    Mar 20th 2014, 5:00 PM

    Manslaughter is a fair judgement but I think he should of got 5 years and not a day less.

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    Mute Stephen Carrick
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    Mar 20th 2014, 10:24 PM

    It’s the law to install a Carbon monoxide alarm on all new boiler installs and only a fool would not install one as it can save a life. €20 that’s all

    10
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    Mute Tinker Taylor
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    Mar 20th 2014, 9:27 PM

    poor workmanship is the scourge of this country..two years is a good verdict.

    4
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