The Greek government will not go to elections on the last minute, government spokeswoman Olga Gerovasili said on Friday during an interview on Greek radio. If there are surprises, these will not come from the Greek government, she added.
She said the negotiations between the Greek government and the institutions on a new bailout for Greece were scheduled to conclude on August 18, at which time the final agreement will be brought to Parliament for ratification.
Gerovasili also announced that the government has sent a letter to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), requesting assistance.
Asked about the IMF’s formal demand that its staff be allowed to visit Ministries and talk to Ministers, Gerovasili said that this “technical obstacle” is being discussed, while the Greek side had proposed that the talks be held with the Greek team’s lead negotiator Giorgos Chouliarakis and his staff at the General Accounting Office.
On the internal strife within SYRIZA, Gerovasili said she understood the difficult dilemmas MPs are facing but stressed there are specific dates and specific votes when all involved will have to take responsibility for what they decide.
She admitted that the stance adopted by former Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis is a “political issue.”
“There are two different plans with two different strategies cohabiting in one political party,” she pointed out. While these differences had, to some extent, existed before, she added, they became a problem when SYRIZA became a government and was called to implement a policy.
Asked whether Parliament President Zoe Konstantopoulou would be presiding when the final agreement negotiated with creditors comes to parliament, Gerovasili replied “obviously” and said it will be up to Konstantopoulou to decide whether she will preside over that session.
(source: ana-mpa)
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