Papandreou will stay in case of no coalition government

No issue of leadership change will be put on the table if the rest of the parties do not agree to a government of national salvation, said Labour minister Yiorgos Koutroumanis on a radio interview.
 
The minister underlined that such a government would have substantial meaning only with the participation of smaller parties, adding that in case leaders do not manage to form a coalition government, then the country will be led straight to elections but only after a period of six months, when the deal of October 26th will have been ratified.
Speaking of the intention of the premier to leave his post, the PASOK governmental spokesman, Christos Protopapas, said “the prime minister is open to this possibility so that we can move to the formation of a government of broader consensus”.

In his interview with state channel NET, he said that “the utmost focus of the talks, if an agreement is reached, is to set goals, timetables and names”. If no solution is found, then Koutroumanis said, “the central PASOK committee will have to shoulder the burden of calling for elections within the next three months and after the bailout package is secured for the sake of the country”.

Dimitris Lintzeris is on the same page with Koutroumanis, although already since last Thursday he has been insisting that “George Papandreou belongs to the past”.

Also, Spyros Vougias has spoken of a “farewell speech of the premier” in parliament, believing that whether a new government is formed or not, Papandreou’s departure is a given fact.