Meimarakis appoints parl’t group secretary as party vice president

New Democracy chief Evangelos Meimarakis on Tuesday appointed Yiannis Plakiotakis to the position of party vice president. Plakiotakis is the conservative party’s parliamentary group secretary.

The move came a few hours before a crucial parliamentary group meeting, where Meimarakis was expected to announce whether he would remain at the party's helm or step down, following Sunday’s fiasco when alleged IT problems led to the cancellation of a vote for the election of a new leader. The discussion was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

On Monday, contenders for the party’s leadership and other prominent party officials traded accusations, while speculation mounted over a possible party split.

According to sources, the election will probably be held on December 13.