ATHENS, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Greece's socialist PASOK-KINAL (Panhellenic Socialist Movement-Movement for Change) party leader Nikos Androulakis on Tuesday submitted a motion of no-confidence against the government, accusing the conservative authorities of a "cover-up in a series of scandals".

With the support of other opposition parties, the motion secured 50 signatures from members of parliament (MPs), the minimum required to kickstart procedures for the vote.

Androulakis accused the government of tampering with evidence in an effort to shift the blame for a train accident last year that resulted in 57 deaths. He cited a recent media report, claiming that recordings of railways employees on the evening of the head-on collision of a freight train with a passenger train in central Greece had been edited.

Greek railways employees have been charged and face trial in June. However, families of the victims, supported by opposition parties and citizens, demand that politicians also face justice for chronic negligence of the railway system.

In a statement, the opposition accused the government of "continuous degradation of the rule of law...as pointed out in a recent resolution of the European Parliament." The resolution also highlighted "the responsibilities of the Government and the Prime Minister personally for the scandal of wiretapping, the illegal use and export of surveillance technology, and condemned the cover-up efforts."

In 2022, Androulakis was the subject of a wiretapping case that resulted in a shakeup of Greece's National Intelligence Service.

Furthermore, the motion's text includes a reference to a recent breach of personal data of Greek expatriates. An interior ministry official resigned following an ongoing investigation into the leak of private email addresses to the office of a member of the European Parliament, which sent unsolicited communications ahead of this June's European parliamentary elections.

Finally, the government is accused of failure to "guarantee a decent income for citizens, basic security and the timeless achievements of the welfare state."

With the support of other opposition parties, the motion secured 50 signatures from members of Parliament (MPs), the minimum required to kickstart procedures for the vote.

Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said the government "welcomes" the motion and a vote would be scheduled for Thursday. He rejected the accusations leveled against his government.

A simple majority is required for the motion to pass. The ruling conservative New Democracy party has a majority of 158 seats in the 300-member strong plenary. Enditem

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