The World - News from June 29, 1989

The political crisis in Greece deepened as a Communist proposal for a coalition government was rejected by Constantine Mitsotakis, leader of the conservative New Democracy party. The once-banned Communists, led by Harilaos Florakis, were asked to form a government after both the New Democracy party and ailing caretaker Prime Minister Andreas Papandreau failed in their attempts to form a coalition. Meanwhile, Mitsotakis insisted that the New Democracy party--which won 145 seats in the 300-member Parliament, six seats short of the needed majority--has the right to form an interim government until new elections can be held in the fall.