Samaras bid for center-right coalition rebuffed
As talks concerning the possible formation of a unity government continued on Wednesday, New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras switched his focus to a probable second round of elections and called for a broad center-right, pro-European front to be created.
?I call on all the political forces of the center-right, those who entered and those who remained out of Parliament, to set aside personal differences and party rivalry to protect the rights built up over the last few decades,? said Samaras.
His appeal was aimed at a number of former ND members, such as Democratic Alliance leader Dora Bakoyannis, Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) chief Giorgos Karatzaferis and head of liberal Drassi, Stefanos Manos. The call was also directed to ND MPs who quit the party to join Panos Kammenos?s Independent Greeks, but not the nationalist party leader himself. It is also thought that Samaras was appealing to the pro-business party Dimiourgia Xana (Recreate Greece).
However, by last night there had been no positive responses to Samaras?s call. ?I do not think Mr Samaras can be trusted to pull something together at a time when New Democracy is falling apart,? said Manos, who said it would be much easier for his party to join forces with Democratic Alliance.
Karatzaferis was also dismissive of a return to ND, which he considers the home of two MPs – Adonis Georgiadis and Makis Voridis – who ?betrayed? LAOS when they joined the conservatives.
