SYRIZA, ND spat over party leaders’ TV debate
Greece's two main parties continued to disagree on Friday about whether to hold a televised debate with the two main contenders, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and main opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis, or one with all political leaders.
New Democracy (ND) sources insisted on Friday that any televised debate to discuss respective programs should include the heads of all the parties running for Parliament, saying a two-person debate “is not going to happen.”
On its side, sources from ruling SYRIZA pointed to comments by Labour Minister Effie Achtsioglou who said in recent interviews her party has already agreed to an inclusive debate but is also insisting on a Tsipras-Mitsotakis face-off.
If a wider debate was agreed on, it would include Tsipras, Mitsotakis, Movement for Change leader Fofi Gennimata, Communist Party leader Dimitris Koutsoumbas and Union of Centrists' Vasilis Leventis.
Stavros Theodorakis and Panos Kammenos of To Potami and Independent Greeks (ANEL), respectively, would not take part, as they have announced their parties will not be participating in the upcoming elections.
The debate would also exclude the leader of neo-Nazi Golden Dawn, Nikos Michaloliakos, who is on trial on charges of forming a criminal organization.
