May 8, 1957
PAPANDREOU AND VENIZELOS: The leaders of the Liberals, Sophocles Venizelos and George Papandreou, are to present their views on the political situation to King Paul today. They are expected to emphasize the risks to national interests and to the country’s democratic institutions posed by the ongoing arbitrariness and the political coups engineered by the government of Constantine Karamanlis. (Ed. note: parliamentary sessions had been suspended for six months but a committee of deputies [precursor to the current summer session] had been functioning). The two politicians’ audience with the king has been scheduled for 11 a.m. at the palace in Athens. Venizelos and Papandreou, while setting out their views to the king and suggesting solutions to rectify the situation, will also discuss the argument that the government is obliged to call an emergency session of Parliament in order to debate critical issues (Ed. note: the Eisenhower Doctrine and the Cyprus issue) as well as to vote on a new electoral system to be applied in the next elections.
