Greek president to discuss coalition government with all party leaders

Greek President Karolos Papoulias meets all party leaders on Sunday to discuss the formation of a coalition government to tackle the country's economic and political turmoil and save the nation from bankruptcy, CNN reported. Embattled Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, whose four-year term formally expires in 2013, began steps to form a unity government on Saturday, just hours after surviving a confidence vote on Saturday. Papandreou started talks with smaller parties and met with the Greek president to seek permission to form a coalition government to ratify a crucial 130-billion euro bailout deal for the indebted euro zone country. The president summoned party members ahead of a Cabinet meeting set for Sunday, CNN said. The main opposition party, however, has showed little willingness to join the unity government and its leader Antonis Samaras made it clear he did not want to be part of a coalition. Samaras, who meets the president Sunday, has called for a transitional government for six weeks, followed by elections. Papandreou, however, has rejected opposition demands for the immediate elections and said in the current financially unhealthy situation it would only aggravate the crisis. In forming the new government, Papandreou's Socialist PASOK party is likely to seek the support of smaller parties, CNN said.