NEW YORK TIMES: After a tumultuous day of political gamesmanship, Prime Minister George A. Papandreou called off his plan to hold a referendum on Greece’s new loan deal with the European Union and vowed to continue in office despite rumors he would resign and growing pressure from within his own party to do so.
In an address to his party’s central committee on Thursday evening, Mr. Papandreou said there was no need for a referendum now that the opposition New Democracy Party had said for the first time on Thursday that it would back the loan deal.
Trying to capitalize on what appeared to be a major political coup, the prime minister invited that party to become “co-negotiators” on the new deal and suggested he was open to talks on a unity government. But the Greek opposition leader, Antonis Samaras, strongly rejected his overtures, accusing him of “deception” and paving the way for more political turmoil ahead… (more)
