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Bustle, negotiations, "cries and whispers" against the back-drop of the rapid development of events – these are the parts of the disassembled puzzle of the ruling party after "changing the guard" in the Prime Minister’s cabinet.

Members of the government, deputies of PASOK, even ordinary party members resemble the famous but typical phrase "boiling cauldron," mentioned thousands of times. The last few days have been a kind of shock to the "green" party, the members of which have sought in vain "a beginning, middle and an end" of the unprecedented developments.
 
Nearly 50 members of PASOK went so far as to protest with a handwritten letter, saying in a free translation "enough already," and asking the party leadership to stop (by yesterday morning) the bustle about the Prime Minister candidacy. At the same time, the probable choice of Filippos Petsalnikos provoked a storm of reactions within the party. That night (Wednesday), phones were literally on fire, and excited party members and members of parliament were hurrying back and forth in the offices of senior ministers.

According to reliable sources, the number of registered members on entry to the office of Deputy Prime Minister Evangelos Venizelos exceeded 40 people.

Among them, a lot of supporters of Papandreou, who wanted to express their support to the Minister of Finance’s candidacy for Prime Minister.

The same sources say that Venizelos had listened carefully to the proposals and contacted Papandreou who, a few hours later, went to the presidential building with a report for the Minister of Finance.

It is certain that Venizelos is one of the first to become aware that he remains in the new cabinet and, for some time, most ministers considered him even as Prime Minister, since Papandreou had proposed him for the post before agreeing with Antonis Samaras on Petsalnikos.

In constant touch

Familiar sources claim that Venizelos and Papandreou have been in constant touch all the time lately and certainly since Venizelos took up the "hot" post in the Ministry of Finance. Would he himself raise the issue of leadership in the party? Venizelos is declaring his support to accelerating the initiatives at government level in order to save the country, but cabinet members and lawmakers who support him, are already talking openly about the "need to raise the issue of changing the leadership." Dimitris Lindzeris, a member of PASOK, asked to launch the procedure for making decisions in the party.

"First, let the storm pass, let us regain composure and discuss the matter then," said, however, an experienced member of PASOK, addressing the appeal in all directions.

George Papandreou’s associates

George Papandreou - guarantor of efforts

Yesterday, close associates of Papandreou left unanswered no comment on the conditions - whether they had been placed and how - in the negotiations for the new Prime Minister. "Whatever we have said is very true," said close associates of George Papandreou, who defined the choice of Lucas Papademos as significant and promising as well as the confirmation of the "efforts of the outgoing Prime Minister for extensive cooperation between the parties".

As for the meeting of political leaders in the presidential building, the same associates added that all relevant issues about "the political framework of the new government led by Lucas Papademos" had been discussed. George Papandreou and the PASOK parliamentary group, said in conclusion that Papandreou's associates guarantee the efforts to emerge from the economic crisis, the implementation of the decisions of October 26 and continue the policy to recover the political and banking system. And if there will be a congress in the near future? This has been requested by Yiannis Panagiotakopoulos, calling on PASOK to take immediate solutions for the leadership and the political direction of the party.