Loverdos lends support to Androulakis in KINAL leadership race

Andreas Loverdos, who was knocked out of the running in Sunday’s Movement for Change (KINAL) leadership election, announced his support of fellow candidate Nikos Androulakis on Tuesday. Androulakis is squaring off against former prime minister George Papandreou for the leadership of the center-left party.

“I will respect the result of December 5 and on the elections of December 12 I will vote for Nikos Androulakis,” stated Loverdos in a release, adding that he has not yet communicated with Androulakis.

“One of the candidates has been tested and the hope emanating from his project is limited. The other candidate is not a member of the Greek parliament, with all that entails,” he said weighing the two remaining candidates.

Finally, Loverdos stressed his belief that the party should not have to go through a second round of elections.

“I tried both publicly and privately to avert this scenario, but I failed to be convincing,” he said, implying that he privately appealed to Papandreou to concede and pull out of the race.