Elections dominate PM’s talks with party chiefs

Speculation about when early elections will be held mounted on Friday as Prime Minister Lucas Papademos held talks with Communist Party (KKE) leader Aleka Papariga ahead of a scheduled meeting with the head of the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) Alexis Tsipras later in the day. Speaking outside the Maximos Mansion shortly after 1 p.m., Papariga said Papademos had told her the proposed date for snap polls would not be more specific when pressed, referring reporters to “the dates being mentioned in the media,” namely April 29 and May 6. The Communist party leader said she was in favor of polls being held as soon possible, noting that in the meantime the current government was “pushing through a raft of reforms that go against the interests of the people.”

Papademos, who earlier this week spoke to conservative New Democracy party leader Antonis Samaras and the new chief of Socialist PASOK Evangelos Venizelos, was to meet with Tsipras at 4 p.m. on Friday. The premier has said that the date of snap polls will be announced next week.

In an interview with private television channel ANT1 on Thursday, Samaras said that ND favors elections on April 29.

Ekathimerini.com