Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos said Wednesday that the country will go to the polls May 6, as expected, in elections likely to create a fragmented government appointed with the task of implementing more painful austerity measures.
During a cabinet meeting, Papademos said he will recommend to Greek President Karolos Papoulias later Wednesday that he dissolve parliament and call elections for the first Sunday of May.
“In the period before May 6, this government is obliged to take important decisions, and policies, that have already been approved by parliament, must be adopted by the time we hand over to the next government,” he said, according to a transcript of his comments.
The new parliament will convene May 17, he added.
Under the Greek Constitution, there has to be at least a 25-day period between the dissolution of parliament and when elections are held.
The elections will be the country’s first since the outbreak of its economic crisis in late 2009. In October 2009, the socialists swept to power under George Papandreou whose government collapsed after some two years in office during a political crisis that raised doubts about the country’s future in the euro zone. Since November last year, Papademos has been heading an interim government–backed by the country’s two main parties–mandated with overseeing the ratification and implementation of the country’s latest bailout.
(source: DowJones)
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