Tsipras govt appears set to appoint new top justices, even as snap elex looms on July 7

By G. Kampourakis
gkamp@naftemporiki.gr

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will convene a Cabinet meeting on Friday, set to begin at 1 p.m. local time, where, by all accounts, he will commence the process to appoint new top justices and the supreme court’s chief prosecutor, even in the face of intense political opposition.

Opposition parties, especially main opposition New Democracy (ND), as well as most of the country’s constitutional law experts have warned that the government has “no political legitimacy” to appoint the high courts’ leadership with snap elections now set for July 7 and with ruling SYRIZA having suffered a convincing defeat in last Sunday’s European Parliament and local government races.

The development comes a day after the relevant justice minister addressed a letter to ND President Kyriakos Mitsotakis, calling on the latter’s center-right party participate in the process to nominate and ratify mutually acceptable candidates.

ND quickly rejected the proposal, saying that regardless of the individuals nominated, the current pre-election period is ill-suited for selecting the top justice system heads for the next four years when an election is on the horizon.

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