Government by tomorrow afternoon

Backdoor consultations for the establishment of a new government are reaching a peak, with information and assessments converging on a final solution by noon on Wednesday, when the deadline that Antonis Samaras has with the exploratory mandate expires. The ND leader will visit the President tomorrow and as it seems, provided that he has obtained the agreement of the relevant forces to establish a parliamentary majority, he will receive the mandate to form a government.

Already there are basic parameters in the agreement between Antonis Samaras of ND and PASOK president Evangelos Venizelos, while they both expect the president of the Democratic Left, Fotis Kouvelis, to participate in the collaboration. Mr. Kouvelis has requested some time to obtain the final approval of the collective bodies of his party, and thus his party is meeting tonight. Information states that some reservations of PASOK officials re beginning to abate, but MPs like Yannis Panousis, Nikos Tsoukalis, Odisseas Voudouris and others still have objections.

The three leaders are in constant telephone contacts to resolve two kinds of issues in order to finalize the agreement. The first issue relates to the programmatic commitments of the new government with the demands of Mr. Kouvelis for the introduction of proportional representation and formulating a new policy on illegal immigration.

The second issue relates to people, in which a fierce backdrop is unfolding. This process might take some time, since Fotis Kouvelis and Evangelos Venizelos approach staffing through many different views. Mr. Kouvelis does not want people who challenge the center-left sector of society in key places, or ministers of previous years.

Mr. Venizelos does not want to supply his party with front line staff, while he promotes people like Fofi Gennimata and Giorgos Zanias, as well as PASOK’s ministers of choice such as Yannis Stournaras and Napoleon Maraveyas. It Is indicative of Venizelos’ mood that he shot down any thoughts of him assuming the post of deputy PM.

Interim ministers Antonis Manitakis and Antonis Roupakiotis seem to be favored by DEMAR.