Papandreou and Samaras warn their party members not be "rebels or bravehearts".
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The leaders of the two parties backing Greece's coalition government called on their deputies Saturday to back legislation that calls for harsh new austerity measures — essential if Greece is to get a new bailout deal worth euro130 billion ($171.6 billion) and stave off bankruptcy.
Debate on emergency legislation approving the new bailout and a debt-swapping deal with private creditors will begin in committee Saturday afternoon. A plenary session will debate and vote on it Sunday. Further legislation detailing the measures demanded by, and agreed with, Greece's public creditors, the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, will be up for vote a few days later. The exact time has not yet been set.
Both leaders — socialist George Papandreou and conservative Antonis Samaras — told their respective parliamentary groups that there is no real alternative to voting for the legislation, except pushing Greece to bankruptcy.
"If we do not dare today, we will live a catastrophe," Papandreou said.
Sensing the unease among their MPs, and trying to prevent a wholesale rebellion, both Papandreou and Samaras have called for a yes vote. But whereas Papandreou was vague about the prospect of sanctions against any rebels, Samaras was clear — threatening to expel those who did not vote in favor and to exclude them from the next election. "I want to make it absolutely clear ... rebels or 'bravehearts' have no place in (the party's) candidate lists," he said.
more: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=146735372
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Looks like they are taking no chances on this vote. Clearly they sense this is the do or die moment.
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