Incumbent Greek President Karolos Papoulias who was re-elected for a second term last week said he was on the side of the Greek people in weathering the difficulties brought by the financial crisis.
Papoulias was re-elected on Wednesday to a second term with 266 votes in the 300-seat parliament.
The 80-year-old incumbent expressed gratitude for the public’s trust and said, “we must get over this crisis. We all have a duty, state and citizens, to work united for a historic change. In this effort, I am on your side.”
In the election, Papoulias was backed by the ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), main opposition New Democracy (ND) and smaller opposition Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) parties.
Parliamentarians from the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and the Coalition of the Radical Left abstained from voting.
KKE’s said its stance has nothing to do with the candidate, incumbent President Karolos Papoulias, himself, but with the political system and the office of the President of the Republic in that system, noting that it was a well-known fact that, according to the Constitution, the President of the Republic must co-sign and agree to “the anti-popular laws and decrees.”
Consequently, it added, regardless of who the candidate is and what his views are, the role of the President is pre-determined.
Papoulias is the sixth President of the Republic since the restoration of democracy in Greece in 1974, following Mihalis Stasinopoulos, Constantine Tsatsos, Constantine Karamanlis, Christos Sartzetakis and Costis Stephanopoulos.
He will be sworn in for his second term on Friday, March 12 at noon.