Voridis, Georgiadis join ND after ouster from LAOS
Transport Minister Makis Voridis and former deputy Merchant Marine Minister Adonis Georgiadis announced on Friday that they are giving up their parliamentary seats in order to join New Democracy.
The two politicians made the move after being ousted from Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS).
They were ejected from the right-wing party?s parliamentary group after voting in favor of the terms of Greece?s new loan agreement on Sunday.
?The next elections will decide if Greece will remain a member of the EU and the eurozone,? said Georgiadis. ?Greece needs strong leadership that will give people hope again. The only organized party is ND democracy, led by Antonis Samaras, which embodies the hope that Greece will not become Syria.?
LAOS leader Giorgos Karatzaferis withdrew his party from the coalition government and instructed his 16 MPs to abstain from the vote. Voridis and Georgidis ignored his instructions.
?At this time, when things are extremely crucial, we need to guarantee that there is a trustworthy, big, patriotic liberal party which will not only be able to have the trust of our lenders but also to guarantee to citizens that growth will come,? he said. ?Antonis Samaras took tough decisions and I felt I should stand by him.?
Voridis and Georgiadis will be candidates for New Democracy at the next elections. Voridis will continue as transport minister in the coalition government, which includes two more conservative ministers. Neither of them is an MP, as party leader Antonis Samaras did not want any ND deputies to be part of the interim administration.
