Five Greek Syriza hardliners say prefer drachma to austerity

ATHENS (Reuters) - Five hardliners in Greece's ruling Syriza party said on Friday dropping out of the euro zone and a return to the drachma was preferable to a deal with international creditors laced with austerity and without any provision for debt relief.

"The government even at this hour can and should respond to the institutions' blackmail with the dilemma: either a program without new austerity, with funding and a debt write-off or an exit from the euro and suspension of payments of the unjust and non viable debt," the statement signed by five members of the party said. Three of them are lawmakers and two members of Syriza's political committee.

The Greek government is seeking support from the country's fractious parliament to a plan for tax and fiscal reforms, seeking a 53.5 billion euro lifeline from lenders to keep the country afloat.

Syriza has 149 seats in the 300-seat Greek legislature.

(Reporting by Renee Maltezou)

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