Greece's Prime Minister Lucas Papademos on Wednesday set the stage for early elections on May 6 by submitting his resignation to the country's president after heading a five-month debt rescue.Papademos was meeting with President Carolos Papoulias after telling the cabinet that a May 6 ballot was necessary to secure a new mandate for reforms to return Greece to growth and secure its place in the eurozone.
"These challenges constitute a national issue that the new government must handle. I recommend that a proposal be made to the president to dissolve parliament and hold elections on May 6," state television
... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
NET quoted him as telling ministers.
A new parliament will be convened on May 17, the PM added, according to NET.
Under the constitution, the president will dissolve the current parliament and call for elections within 30 days.
Papademos, a former European Central Bank vice president appointed as caretaker prime minister five months ago to complete a debt-saving deal for Greece, told the cabinet that the next government must draw up a new economic plan for 2013-2016.
The country must also pursue structural reforms to restore growth and keep its place in the eurozone, he said.
Papademos is expected to stay on to supervise the electoral process, along with most of his key ministers.