Greece's radical left Syriza party will hold an emergency congress in September as requested by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
The prime minister’s proposal to hold an extraordinary party congress in September to examine the bailout once it has been completed was approved by Syriza’s 200-strong central committee in Athens early on Friday.
Syriza’s central committee—the body that sets the party’s policies—voted against a proposal to carry out a congress immediately, a decision that could derail the continuing negotiations on an up to 86 billion euro bailout.
But the atmosphere was tense during the gathering which took place at an old movie theater. 17 central committee members resigned after the meeting, in the latest sign of a deepening rift with the party's more radical far-left camp.
The division within Syriza was prompted by a rebellion by over 30 legislators who refused to vote for reforms that were part of the conditions agreed on July 13 in Brussels to secure the new bailout program for the country.
The bailout deal was supported in the Greek parliament passed and passed with support from pro-European opposition parties.
Greece has signed up to tax hikes, a pension overhaul and privatizations in return for the deal, but Tsipras has argued that many of the unpopular cuts can be neutralized with growth and poverty-supporting measures.
Syriza rebels claim that the tough agreement the Greek premier signed with the country's EU/IMF creditors goes against the government's anti-austerity promises. Dissenters have called for the government to call off negotiations to complete the deal and look for alternatives.
Among those who expressed serious objections were the outspoken dissenters Zoe Konstantopoulou, the parliament speaker, and former Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis. Lafazanis is leader of the Left-Platform an far-left fraction within Syriza.