|
|
|
Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 15-09-13
CONTENTS
[01] 'I will be prime minister,' ND leader Meimarakis says at TIF
[01] 'I will be prime minister,' ND leader Meimarakis says at TIF
ANA-MPA -- Speaking at the 80th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF)
on Sunday, New Democracy leader Evangelos Meimarakis signalled his
party's willingness to collaborate with the other political forces
after the September 20 elections.
"Clearly I will both be prime minister and clearly I will address other
forces if [SYRIZA leader Alexis] Tsipras does not want to," he told
reporters during the party leaders' customary TIF press conference.
He slammed a litany of mistakes made by the SYRIZA-ANEL government during
its seven months in power, saying that Tsipras had to reply to criticism
made by his erstwhile coalition partner, Independent Greeks leader Panos
Kammenos, about his decision to appoint Yanis Varoufakis as finance
minister. Meimarakis said that Tsipras found himself in a "strategic
vacuum" as a result of the positions adopted by himself and senior
SYRIZA cadres. When asked to explain his insistence that Tsipras join
a post-election coalition, Meimarakis said the question was why Tsipras
refused and whether "he wants to stay outside and start stone-throwing."
"If Mr. Tsipras wants to participate in the government as vice-president,
I will discuss this with my staff," he added. In the case of cooperation
with SYRIZA on a government level, Meimarakis clarified that Tsipras
must supply cabinet members that agree with the implementation of a
specific programme. Referring to the programme he unveiled on Saturday,
Meimarakis stressed that everything within it was realistic and feasible.
"Do we want to go forward or back? With cooperation or arrogance? With
truths or lies," he asked, indicating that these were the real dilemmas
in the upcoming elections.
|
