PASOK in turmoil, Maximou angry

Turmoil prevails in the PASOK parliamentary group after yesterday’s leaks about the voting on crucial articles of the multiple bill of law, which resulted in not voting on articles such as the deregulation of the operating hours of pharmacies, promoted by the health ministry.

In a statement posted on his website, the Minister for Rural Development Costas Skandalidis requests an immediate meeting of the Parliamentary Group and the election of its president, as “yesterday showed that there is a leadership vacuum in the policy directions of the Group, the body which is predominantly responsible for the day-by-day support of the Government”.

Mr. Skandalidis stated that the government and the country cannot wait for the internal procedures of PASOK and that “it is inconceivable that our Members cannot face as one the most critical and heavier tasks that are in store in the next few days”.

The Skandalidis communiqué was answered by PASOK spokesman Mr. Panos Beglitis through a statement on protothema.gr: “Each member can say whatever they want. There are certain decisions that will be implemented”.

However, the former chairman of the House and ex-parliamentarian Mr. Apostolos Kaklamanis clearly supported - in his statements - the members who voted against certain articles, even hinting against Maximou: “the corporate interests are not served by members but by those who exercise executive power”, he said.

This is all while PASOK president George Papandreou is in Costa Rica for yet another Socialist International meeting, and while protothema.gr is informed that at Maximou Mansion PM Lucas Papademos and his colleagues are watching the PASOK carousel in amazement and anger, while the country is on a tightrope over its debt restructuring and the conclusion of the new loan agreement.