President of the Hellenic Republic Karolos Papoulias has accepted the proposal by Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou to serve a second term in Greece’s highest post, as it was formally announced on Monday afternoon.
“I accept the nomination for my re-election to the Presidency of Greece,” Papoulias said.
Both ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) party and the main opposition New Democracy party endorse Papoulias’ second term at the post. The election is due in parliament in the forthcoming March.
Papoulias was elected by an overwhelming parliamentary majority of 279 out of 300 votes to serve a five-year term in February 2005.He was sworn in as the 7th president of the Third Hellenic Republic on March 12, 2005.
Papoulias, born in 1929, was a founding member of the PASOK and a close associate of its leader Andreas Papandreou.