Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou says he wants to meet with the country's president and opposition leader in the coming hours to agree on a new coalition government that would secure continued bailout funds and avert a national bankruptcy.
Mr. Papandreou said Sunday he asked President Karolos Papoulias to host the three-way meeting with New Democracy party chief Antonis Samaras later in the day. There was no immediate word on whether the conservative opposition leader will attend. The prime minister's statement came at the end of an emergency meeting of his socialist cabinet.
Mr. Papandreou is seeking to form a national unity government that would secure parliamentary approval of second European-led bailout package offered to Greece last month. The deal requires the Greek government to increase tax rates and make deeper cuts in government pensions and salaries.
Samaras met with the ceremonial president earlier Sunday and reiterated a demand for Mr. Papandreou to resign before any political negotiations. But, members of the ruling Pasok party said the prime minister will resign only after the government and the opposition reach a deal on a coalition, including how long it will lead the country until new elections.
The ruling socialists say elections should wait until January or February, but the conservative opposition wants a vote by December.
Ruling party members also said they do not want to leave Greece without a government on Monday, when the Greek finance minister is supposed to meet with his counterparts from the euro zone in Brussels.
European leaders have called on Greece to approve the new bailout plan and implement the terms of an existing rescue package provided to Athens by the European Union and International Monetary Fund last year. Some EU leaders have warned that Greece will not get any further aid if it fails to take those measures.
Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos has said Greece needs the next $11 billion installment of its existing bailout by December to avoid bankruptcy.
