ATHENS, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Greece's three-party government coalition lost two more deputies on Monday over their stance in the handling of the so-called Lagarde list containing data on major depositors abroad.
MPs Odysseas Voudouris and Paris Moutsinas were expelled from the parliamentary group of Democratic Left, the moderate Left junior party in the seven-month coalition, after telling local media that they intend to vote against party line for a parliamentary inquiry into the actions of former Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos regarding the list.
Main opposition Radical Left SYRIZA party is due to table later on Monday a proposal for a parliamentary investigation into the case against former Finance Ministers George Papaconstantinou and Venizelos, who is currently head of the co-ruling socialists.
A week ago, the coalition government tabled a proposal for an inquiry only against Papaconstantinou amidst speculation that he is responsible for the alleged doctoring of the list which had been handed over to him in 2010 from his then French counterpart and current head of International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde.
The names of two relatives of Papaconstantinou with major deposits at an HSBC bank branch in Switzerland are said to have been deleted from the list he passed on to his successors at the ministry.
He denies any involvement in the tampering with data, while opposition parties call for a widening of the probe for the mishandling of the list, since not a single depositor over the past two years has been investigated for possible tax evasion.
The 300-member strong parliament is expected to vote on the two proposals for inquiries next week, as the government reaffirms determination to continue on the austerity and reform path to lift the debt-laden country out of the crisis which threatens it with default since 2009.
Wide-spread tax dodging is regarded as a key factor behind the crisis which has caused the suffering of the average Greek household with the dramatic deterioration of living standards due to deep recession fuelled by austerity.
With the expulsion of the two legislators on Monday the conservative-led government of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras now holds a majority of 164 seats in the assembly, down from 178 it held after June's general elections.
Several lawmakers have been expelled or quit from the parliamentary groups of the coalition parties due to diverging views over austerity measures and structural reforms in recent months.
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