Kammenos to take legal action over document
Panos Kammenos, the head of the Independent Greeks party — which came fourth in the May 6 polls — told Real radio station on Wednesday that he would take legal action over the issue of a document that the office of President Karolos Papoulias said it was given by Kammenos during talks with party leaders, and which ostensibly set out the party’s position on the formation of a unity government, but which the party chief insists he knows nothing about.
In comments to the radio station on Wednesday, Kammenos repeated that the document forwarded by Papoulias’ office to other party leaders during the process of exploratory talks aimed at setting up a government had not been drafted by him. He also shifted his stance from Tuesday, adding that the positions set out in the document did not reflect those of his party.
The document, apparently originating from the office of Independent Greeks, stated that the party would support a unity government if it were matter of @national urgency.» The proposal was also reported to have said that Kammenos would agree to supporting a unity government on the condition that Independent Greeks be given the Defense Ministry among other posts.
Kammenos said he would lodge a legal appeal for an investigation to be launched into the «non-paper» that was sent to the other party leaders. He has not ruled out the possibility of the document having been produced by associates of his and on Wednesday noted that the document might have been sent by email to the office of Independent Greeks by «friends of the party» and to have «ended up in the debate by mistake.»
Still, the party chief accused Constantinos Bitsios, the head of Papoulias’ office, of lying. «It is not our document. Lots of strange things have happened. Mr. Bitsios lied to us,» Kammenos said, alleging that «the president’s office played a game» to the detriment of the Independent Greeks. He added that he believed Papoulias himself might have been duped by his own staff.
“We will resort to justice. They are slandering every voice that opposes the memorandum,» Kammenos said, referring to Greece’s debt deal with foreign creditors.
