  PrimePrime Minister Antonis Samaras (left) is seen talking with Stavros Dimas (right) in an undated file photo. |
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Tuesday confirmed the nomination of former EU Commissioner Stavros Dimas for president.
"He is widely regarded as a person who unites and inspires. He unites citizens beyond their party preferences and inspires gravity, trust and respect," Samaras said in a televised address of the former European commissioner.
"He is also appreciated by Greek society and respected by the international community," the prime minister added.
Dimas will be running for the largely ceremonial post in three rounds of crucial voting in Parliament starting next week. If the required super-majority is not achieved to elect him, Parliament will be dissolved ahead of general elections next month.
"The presidential election has become a pretext to force early elections. So, while we have stabilized financially and finally entered a recovery period, clouds of political uncertainty started to gather once more over Greece," Samaras said.
"As was its duty, the government decided to remove this uncertainty and to fully restore political stability by accelerating the election for a president of the republic," the prime minister added.
Dimas, 73, is the vice president of New Democracy and served as EU commissioner for the environment from 2004 to 2010 and as Greece's minister for foreign affairs from November 2011 to May 2012.
source Newspaper kathimerinh.gr
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_09/12/2014_545269
