Athens, Nov 2 (IANS) Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou insisted that a recent European aid deal for Greece will be put to referendum in early 2012, despite the political turmoil.
‘There is no way that the planning announced on Monday will be changed. The holding of referendum was our pre-election promise to people. Everything will be judged on Friday,’ Papandreou told a cabinet meeting Tuesday, according to report of Greek news agency AMNA.
The Greek leader was referring to the critical vote of confidence scheduled for Friday night, as several ruling socialist PASOK party deputies ‘revolted’ protesting the unexpected announcement on the referendum, reported Xinhua.
According to critics within the party and opposition parties that stepped up pressure for early polls, the referendum call would divide Greek people, fuel political instability at the debt-ridden country, put the entire international support in question and endanger the country’s position in the eurozone and Europe.
According to media reports, Papandreou expressed his determination to let Greek voters decide whether they want the implementation of the EU deal or not, and whether they want a Greek exit from the euro zone.
Greek media also reported that opposition parties, which criticized the Oct 26 deal agreed by eurozone leaders as insufficient and a wrong recipe that endangers sovereignty and leads eventually to default, will examine Wednesday the prospect of boycotting parliament to force snap elections.
Papandreou has dismissed such calls, arguing that snap elections at this critical moment will lead Greece to political uncertainty and jeopardise vital EU/International Monetary Fund aid.
He has argued that the government needs the wider national consensus and a fresh mandate to push through the needed austerity and structural reform policies under the agreement with international lenders.
