On the occasion of what took place at yesterday’s plenary session, during the debate on the proposals of the PASOK-KINAL, SYRIZA-PS and New Left for the establishment of a pre-trial committee for any responsibilities of the former Ministers and the former ministers of the former Ministers. Extraordinary convocation of the Conference of Presidents, the Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament, Mr. Nikitas Kaklamanis, states:

“According to Article 67 of the Constitution, the House cannot decide without the absolute majority of the members present, but it can never be less than a quarter of the entire number of Members.

Indeed, the 1975 Constitution contains neither in this provision nor a quorum regulation for the validity of the debate in the plenary.

This has the meaning that the House is validly deciding if it is concentrated by a majority of at least 75 Members.

Furthermore, whether a vote is validly carried out, it should not be confused with the voting result in the constitution, which is achieved by a certain minimum number of votes.

It is therefore not right that the case of Article 86 (3) of the Constitution requires the presence of at least 151 MPs, that is to say, the special majority for the establishment of a preliminary examination committee in order to make a valid decision on the relevant proposal.

What is required is a majority of at least 75 Members.

As was the case in yesterday’s procedure under Article 86 (3) of the Constitution, when the Parliament was validly decided by a majority of at least 75 Members, with the consequence of rejecting the proposals.

In terms of finding the number of MPs required by the Constitution and the Regulation of the House of Representatives for a vote and the decision, the Rules of Procedure of the House provides for the relevant jurisdiction of the President (Article 69 (4)).

In recent years, parliamentary practice in the application of Article 70A of the House Regulation has recognized increased possibilities for participating in the vote by letter and beyond those specified in this article.

In the context of the forthcoming amendment of the House of Representatives, we will also review these possibilities.

However, Article 70A of the House of Representatives provides for the possibility of letter voting in secret votes, with a sealed letter addressed to the Speaker of the House.

In the light of the foregoing, there is no longer the extraordinary convocation of the Presidents’ Conference, which can in no way modify or, much more, annul the decisions of the Plenary of the House. “