PASOK’s Androulakis turns down mandate to form gov’t

Nikos Androulakis, the socialist PASOK leader, has turned down the third exploratory mandate to form a government in a meeting with President Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

“I’m turning down the mandate I received, as there are no opportunities for government convergences on the basis of policy agreements,” he said after the meeting.

Earlier, main opposition SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras turned down the second exploratory mandate to form a government. The first exploratory mandate was received and returned on Monday by the leader of the first party, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Now that all three main party leaders have returned or declined the mandate to form a coalition government, the president is now expected to summon the political leaders of the five parties returned to parliament to see if a cross-party government can be formed to oversee new elections.

In the likely event that a cross-party government cannot be formed, the president will call on the president of the Council of State, the Supreme Court or the Court of Audit to form a caretaker government to arrange elections.

The 300 MPs elected in the May 21 election will sit in the body for one day only, possibly May 28, when they will be sworn in. The speaker and deputy speakers will also be sworn in.

The following day, a presidential decree will be issued to dissolve parliament and declare elections within 30 days.

June 25 is considered the most likely date for holding the year’s second general election. [AMNA]