GREEK AFFAIRS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25505, 8 April 1944, Page 5

GREEK AFFAIRS

RESIGNATION OF GOVERNMENT (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, Apl. 6. The Hellenic News Service in Cairo issued the following statement: “ The whole of the Greek Government has submitted its resignation. Pending a decision of the regime’s constitutional arbiter the Ministers will continue to function provisionally.” The latest crisis arose after M. Venizelos declared that the King's conditions of his acceptance of Premiership were “ unsatisfactory.” The Greek Unity Committee in London announced that Colonel Bakirdzis has become President and Foreign Secretary of the Provisional Government formed in the area of Greece freed by the army of liberation (Elas). Other members represent the Liberal, Communist, and Agrarian Parties. Referring to the resignation of M. Tsouderos, the committee declared that the new Government in Cairo must include representatives of the Provisional Government within Greece, adding that no other course would be acceptable to the Greek people. Elas is the largest of the three partisan groups in Greece. It is Leftist whereas the others have been accused of being extremely reactionary. It was announced a month ago that the three groups had reached agreement, and last week a joint committee was formed in the mountains with the object of forming a national coalition Government.