Six out of the seven political leaders of the parties that entered the parliament at the May-6 elections are currently meeting in Athens to assign a caretaker prime minister who will lead the country to fresh elections after 10-day long talks did not manage to end in a coalition government.
01:00 pm
Antonis Samaras (ND), Alexis Tsipras (SYRIZA), Evangelos Venizelos (PASOK), Panos Kammenos (Independent Greeks), Fotis Kouvelis (Democratic Left) and Aleka Papariga (KKE) joined the meeting that takes place under the President, Karolos Papoulias.
Nikos Michaloliakos (Chrysi Avgi) refused to join the meeting as he was practically excluded from the talks to form a coalition government.
01:28 pm
Who can be caretaker prime minister? Either a political person, a non-political one or one of the judges of the three highest Greek courts.
If political leaders will not agree on a caretaker PM from the first two options, then the president will appoint one of the judges.
01:30 pm
Can Lucas Papademos remain in office as caretaker PM?
Greek media claimed that he does not want to. But that he may consider if he would be asked too.
01:35 pm
Judge Panayiotis Pikramenos, President of the Council of State, is allegedly the most possible candidate for the prime ministry, should political leaders fail to agree.
01:38 pm
Tsipras (SYRIZA) allegedly wants that the caretaker government will ‘freeze’ bailout programme measures until the fresh elections.
01:46 pm
During Monday’s meeting President Papoulias drew attention of the political leaders to a kind of ‘bank run’ by Greeks concerned about a euro exit. “Until Monday 4 pm, Greeks had withdrawn 800 million euro from the banks” Papoulias had said. (further reading in English here)
01:49 pm
Kammenos (IndepGreeks) announced that he will seek legal investigation about the non-paper that was distributed from the office of the President to political leaders on Sunday. The non-paper was listing Kammenos’ conditions to join a coalition government. IndepGreeks-leader insists that the non-paper was not his and blames the director of the presidency office for the leakage.
01:57 pm
According to the minutes from Monday meeting between the president and political leaders, Venizelos and Tsipras argued about the payment of the 435 million euro bond that was maturing on May 15th 2012.
Venizelos argued that with exception of Germany all the other EZ member-countries wanted non-payment of the bond. Tsipras argued that given the current situation the non-payment would be considered as default.
The dispute ended in agreement that the bond would be paid out. The leaders had asked a recommendation by PM Loucas Papademos.
How was the bond holder? New York Times reports today that
“Almost 90 percent was delivered to the coffers of Dart Management, a secretive investment fund based in the Cayman Islands, according to people with direct knowledge of the transaction.”
02:01 pm
President-leaders meeting concluded.
It looks that they did not agree on a politician as caretaker PM.
Kammenos said “We are heading to a judge”.
Papariga “They accepted our proposal. Strictly caretaker government.
02:10 pm
Strictly caretaker government means that the sole duty of the government will be to take the country to next elections and that only in case of ’emergency’ decisions other to elections will be taken.
02:13 pm
President Papoulias proposed Papademos. Only Samaras Venizelos fully agreed.
02:14 pm
Tsipras proposed former PASOK minister Gerasimos Arsenis who happens to be husband of Luca Katseli. Katseli is chairwoman of Social Agreement party consisting of former PASOK MPs and ministers.
Now Tsipras is being accused of an elections cooperation with Katselis’ party.
State NET TV reported that Tsipras agreed on Papademos on the second round of proposals.
02:19 pm
Fresh elections will take place on June 17th 2012.
Caretaker Prime Minister is Panayiotis Pikramenos.
source: state broadcaster NET TV
02:22 pm
Political leaders agreed that the 300 MPs who were elected on May-6 will not receive any financial compensation.
The parliament will open tomorrow Thursday so that the 300 will take an oath. There will be a second meeting on Friday.
However the parliament will be dissolved once the president will officially declare the new elections. This is expected to happen either on Friday evening or on Sunday.
Unless the parliament won’t open at all…. In such a case the president would have to cancel a relevent degree.
02:32 pm
Judge Panayiotis Pikramenos is scheduled to visit Presidential Mansion at 03:15 pm today and be appointed caretaker PM. He will have to get together a caretaker government.
<Pikramenos> in English means “embittered”. Coincidence?
02:35 pm
Live-Blogging concludes.
Keep tuned with “Keep Talking, Greece” for the news of today.
Thank you for reading KTG!
