"We can find the proper timeframe for national elections, even at the end of 2015", provided a president is elected and crunch EU-IMF loan talks are concluded, Samaras said in a nationally televised address.
"It is a national duty, and common sense also dictates, that we conclude negotiations with the (EU-IMF) creditors," Samaras said.
The upcoming vote in parliament to elect a successor to President Karolos Papoulias, whose term ends in March, would likely end in a stalemate which would automatically spark early elections.
Parliament last week fell 40 votes short of the required 200 to elect the government's candidate for president, former EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas.
Another vote, again requiring 200 votes in the 300-seat chamber, will be held on Tuesday.
Should that fail, a third and final vote requiring 180 votes is to be held on December 29.
Samaras had until now steadfastly refused to hold elections, which are normally due in June 2016.
The government coalition has only 155 lawmakers in parliament, and most analysts agree that finding even 180 supporters would be a tall order.
European Union and International Monetary Fund officials fear an early election -- which could be held as early as January 25 -- would be won by radical leftist party Syriza and undo the country's ongoing fiscal reforms.
Greece recently secured a two-month extension from its EU-IMF creditors to conclude an ongoing fiscal audit that will determine the release of some 7.0 billion euros ($8.6 billion) in loans.
This extension expires in February.
In 2012, back-to-back elections were needed in May and June to form a shaky coalition government, stalling Greece's fiscal reforms and sparking speculation that the country was about to be ejected from the eurozone.
AFP
[english.ahram.org.eg]
21/12/14
--
-
Related:
GR
FR
DE
ES
IT
RU
EU
No comments:
Post a Comment
Only News