By Penelope Galiou

The constitutional procedures following the May 21 elections are now in a time “microcapsule” so that on Monday the country can officially re-enter the new pre-election period that will lead to the June 25 elections.

The procedures were accelerated even more so after the simultaneous receipt and delivery by Alexis Tsipras and Nikos Androulakis to the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, of the second and third exploratory orders for the formation of a government, thus hastening to close the cycle of the investigation by the political leaders of political congresses and the eventual formation of a coalition government, which was “wrecked” by the very result of Sunday’s ballot.

Based on the Constitution, the President of the Republic proceeds to the last constitutional step and convenes this morning at 11.00 a Council of Political Leaders to discuss with all the leaders of the parliamentary parties the possibility of forming a government.

However, given the political positions and associations, this last effort is discounted as fruitless.

In this eventuality, as a consequence, Mrs. Sakellaropoulou will proceed to the next step provided by the Constitution, which is the formation of a caretaker government that will lead the country to the next elections on June 25.

According to information, the name of the President of the Court of Auditors, Mr. Ioannis Sharma, is preferred for the position of caretaker prime minister as the most senior among the supreme judges, and in turn Mr. Sharmas will appoint the caretaker government which is expected to consists of persons who will enjoy the widest possible acceptance.

The next step in the post-election proceduresif the relevant Presidential Decree is amended that defined the convergence of the new Parliament of the May 21 elections on June 1, is the opening of the Parliament a few days earlier and specifically on Sunday May 28.

During this meeting, the swearing-in of the deputies will take place, while the following day, on May 29, the Parliament will be called to elect its presidency and since a government cannot be formed, the new Presidential Decree will be issued by the evening of the same day which will once again dissolve Parliament and call for new elections to be held on June 25.

The elections of June 25 are a new electoral process and therefore all the procedures for declaring the combinations that will participate in them will start from the beginning, resubmitting the requirements for their participation to the Supreme Court.

Regarding the electoral system with which they will be held, it is the enhanced proportional system that provides for a proportional bonus of seats for the first party, which makes it easier to form a government and the governability of the country, compared to the simple proportional system.