LMASSOL -   Yiorgos Lillikas, a former minister who ran for president last month, on Saturday slammed the bailout agreement as unacceptable and said the government should either call a referendum or hold new presidential elections.
In statements to the press, Lillikas said that the decision to make depositors pay part of their savings would lead to a national disaster. President Anastasiades did not have a mandate to agree to such conditions, as he had campaigned to improve the draft bailout agreement reached by the previous government, he added. Anastasiades should either put the agreement to a referendum or call new elections.
"Unfortunately our  concerns about the extent of their (the govenrment's) resistance have been confirmed," he said. The president he added "had betrayed his mandate within 15 days of being elected."
Lillikas said the House of Representatives could not endorse the agreement as MPs were not mandated to decide on an agreement which mortgaged the present and future of this country.
"Only the people can decide. Democracy and national interest dictate that we ask the sovereign people, and this can be done through a referendum or through early presidential elections, " he said.