NEWS

The Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence, Marinos Sizopoulos, does not adopt the majority decision of the meeting of leaders or representatives of the parliamentary parties. The latter concluded on Thursday that the issue regarding the composition of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence is over.

As he told CNA, he is expecting the duly written response of the Speaker of the Parliament and Chairman of the parliamentary Election Committee, Annita Dimitriou, to the letter sent to her in order to make further decisions.

Mr. Sizopoulos sent a letter to the Speaker of the Parliament, after the objection he raised before the Plenary Session of the Parliament. In fact, during the ratification process of the Election Committee’s decision over the composition of the parliamentary committees, he requested the replacement of the President of ELAM because, as stated in the letter, he did not serve his term in the National Guard and was a bodyguard of a criminal organization leader in Greece.

Also read: Committee on Defence | Sizopoulos’s objection to Christou’s participation – The new Committee composition

Mr. Sizopoulos told CNA that the leaders who considered the issue over have no authority to decide on the composition of the Parliamentary Committees, but the responsibility belongs to the Selection Committee from which he expects a written response to his written objection.

According to information, the issue was discussed at the leaders’ meeting on Thursday, during which it was decided by a majority that the composition of the Defence Committee was agreed in the Selection Committee and ratified by the Plenary.

The leaders’ meeting, according to the same information, decided that if an ethical issue or possible illegality is raised for some Members of Parliament, then a different procedure should be followed.

Also, according to the information, during the leaders’ meeting, it was pointed out that there is no legal background for the exclusion of any Member of Parliament and the position was expressed that whenever there is a disagreement, agreed decisions cannot be overturned.

In his statements, the President of ELAM, Christos Christou, said that the issue in question was discussed at the Meeting, adding that “as it was clarified, no issue is raised for the participation of ELAM in the said committee”.

Mr. Christou said that if Mr. Sizopoulos “chooses not to convene a meeting of the Defence Committee, he is fully responsible for the committee’s pending issues and he will have to choose whether he will eventually remain in the position of Committee chairman or not”.

Also read: Responding to Sizopoulos’s objection to Christou’s participation in the Defence Committee