The preliminary investigation into the Tempe railway disaster, launched solely with the votes of 154 New Democracy MPs, has convened for its first session. The Committee has been established to examine whether the offence of dereliction of duty may have been committed.

The inaugural meeting is scheduled for 11.00, chaired by Nikitas Kaklamanis, with the election of a presidium as its first order of business. New Democracy is expected to nominate MP Stavros Keletsis as chair. Opposition parties, however, are demanding the formation of a proportional, cross-party presidium that includes minority factions.

Following the establishment of the Committee, parties will present their initial positions on how the investigation should proceed. The plenary session has set a deadline of two months for the completion of the inquiry.

According to ERT, citing sources within New Democracy, the governing majority is inclined to replicate the procedure used in the previous Preliminary Committee on Christos Triantopoulos, aiming for a swift conclusion. In this scenario, the report could be submitted by early July, with a final vote potentially taking place by 20 July.

The opposition, by contrast, insists that the Committee must fully exercise its institutional role in pre-investigative proceedings. It demands that all witnesses proposed by the parties be examined without obstruction.

The Committee is convened under Article 156, paragraph 3 of the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, and comprises 26 members: 14 from New Democracy, 11 from the opposition, and one independent. Decisions are made by an absolute majority of those present, by a show of hands.

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