SETimes.comKaramanlis gets mandate to form next Greek government
18/09/2007
ATHENS, Greece -- President Karolos Papoulias on Monday (September 17th) asked Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis to form the next Greek government after official confirmation that his New Democracy had won Sunday's election by a narrow margin. Karamanlis will have three days to present his new ministers. He said his next cabinet will be smaller and include new names. Experts expect Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis to retain their posts. However, the public order minister may be replaced because of the fire department's inadequate response to fires that swept through the country in August. Change is also likely at the education ministry.
New Democracy will hold 152 seats in the 300-seat parliament, while the main opposition party PASOK will get 102 seats -- a loss of 15 for the party. The communists will get 22, the Left Coalition 14, and the far-right LAOS party 10. (Logos, Eleftheros Typos- 18/09/07; Reuters, AP, AFP, DW, Bloomberg, ERT, ANA-MPA, ITAR-TASS - 17/09/07)