Greek coalition government set to call election

[April 11, 2012]  ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Greece's Prime Minister Lucas Papademos is to meet with the country's president Wednesday to request an early general election.

Papademos has scheduled a meeting with President Karolos Papoulias at 5:00 p.m. (1400 GMT) to formally request elections, 18 months before parliament's current term expires.

Several government officials said this week that election will be held on May 6.

Papademos, a 64-year-old former vice president of the European Central Bank, was appointed prime minister in November and has spent the following five months pushing through harsh austerity measures in order to secure a much-needed international bailout.

[Associated Press]

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