PASOK claims ND doctored deputies’ votes

Government hits back at allegations

A PASOK official stands next to a TV screen at a news conference during which the Socialists alleged New Democracy tampered with some of its MPs votes during a ballot on May 27. PASOK abstained from the vote on the constitutional review, in which 197 deputies voted. ND rejected the claims, pointing to the fact that no MPs complained.

The brief summer lull in Greek politics was well and truly over yesterday as PASOK accused the government of tampering with ballot papers during a parliamentary vote on the constitutional review in May, which New Democracy vehemently denied.

Several high-ranking members of the Socialist party held a news conference to reveal video footage and stills that they claimed proved that conservative deputies had switched ballot paper during the voting process.

“We are witnessing acts that led to the distortion of the will of deputies through the switching of ballot papers, the removal of some and the addition of others to such an extent that one could say with certainty that an important parliamentary process was transformed into a spurious, petty political electoral process,” said PASOK’s Dimitris Reppas.

The Socialists allege that Yiannis Bougias and Constantinos Agorastos, the two New Democracy MPs that had the task of collecting the ballot papers, examined the votes to check that they were in line with the party’s position and replaced several that were not.

PASOK said that Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis should take responsibility for the alleged forgery.

The TV footage, recorded by Parliament’s own channel, is inconclusive but does show some conferring between ND deputies and the exchange of several papers.

Commentators, however, pointed out that it was not a secret ballot and that MPs signed their voting papers, so the results were posted next to each deputy’s name, and since May there have been no complaints from MPs.

New Democracy pointed out that during the last four months, no deputy has come forward to challenge the results of the vote, which the government won.

The conservatives accused PASOK of trying to “provoke public opinion” out of desperation.

Parliament Speaker Dimitris Sioufas also poured scorn on PASOK’s allegations after representatives of the Socialist party supplied him with the evidence they had collected.

“The voting process for the review of the articles of the constitution on May 27 took place in a honest and transparent manner,” he said, accusing PASOK of trying to create a fuss over nothing.