Greece:
Conservative leader unable to form coalition
Greek
conservative leader Antonis Samaras says he has failed to form a
coalition government and has handed back the mandate to President
Karolos Papoulias
8
May, 2012
Mr
Samaras, whose New Democracy party won the biggest share of the vote
in Sunday's inconclusive election, was given the first chance to form
an administration by the president.
Syriza,
which took second place will now be given the opportunity to try and
form an administration.
New
Democracy will still be the largest party in the new parliament.
Mr
Samaras says the party did everything it could but it was impossible
to form a government in the current political environment.
Two-thirds
of Greek voters backed parties opposed to the EU/IMF deal, renewing
fears that Athens may default on its debts and leave the eurozone.
Chancellor
Angela Merkel of Germany has made clear that Greece's reforms must go
on, saying they are of ''utmost importance''.
A
further 11 billion euros of cuts in spending is due to be found next
month under Greece's current bailout plan.
Since
November, Greece has been run by a coalition, led by technocrat Prime
Minister Lucas Papademos, which secured a 130 billion euro deal this
year.
Pasok
was in power when Greece negotiated the terms of a bailout of 110
billion euros in 2010.
New
Democracy's support on Sunday slipped from 33.5% to less than 19% of
the vote while Pasok's share plummeted from 43% to just over 13%.
If
Syriza fails to form a coalition, Pasok, the third party will receive
the mandate.
If
still no coalition emerges, Greece will hold another election.
Syriza
is opposed to the austerity measures.
Pasok's
leader, former finance minister Evangelos Venizelos, has called for a
broad coalition government of pro-European parties.
''A
coalition government of the old two-party system would not have
sufficient legitimacy or sufficient domestic and international
credibility if it would gather a slim majority,'' he said on Sunday.
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