Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology (SYN) party leader and Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA parliamentary alliance) parliamentary group leader Alexis Tsipras on Wednesday demanded that the government step down and call early general elections, while he also lambasted prime minister George Papandreou and appealed to the forces of the Left to join forces in a new coalition, addressing an event on unemployment organised by SYN on Wednesday.
Tsipras said the country is facing a severe political crisis, noting that the crisis was primarily political, and secondarily economic, and launched a scathing attack on both current premier Papandreou and his predecessor (New Democracy) prime minister Kostas Karamanlis, as well as current main opposition ND leader Antonis Samaras.
Greece, he said, has been unlucky regarding its political leadership. which did not safeguard the national interests.
Tsipras said that Papandreou is "so weak and frightened" that he can't face the problems on his own and is seeking help from Samaras "who stammers to the troika that he would do the same things, but does not want co-governance, but neither demands (early) elections and winks at the troika, and begs not to counter-sign the looting of the state wealth and property".
He also called Papandreou "ruthless", having surpassed even Margaret Thatcher and Pinochet, and "will do everything the troika asks".
Papandreou, Tsipras said, "has turned into the biggest disappointment of the post-dictatorship years".
Tsipras said it is clear that the country needs a different government, a people-oriented factor, to determine the developments in order to "deal with this tragedy with daring and dignity" because not only does Papandreou lack the courage to admit his failure -- since he is not stepping down and calling early elections -- but he is becoming increasingly worse in his effort to hang on to power.
ANA-MPA
