Haris Doukas

PASOK MP Milena Apostolaki has withdrawn from the socialist party's leadership race, according to an announcement made late Wednesday.

Doukas criticizes Costas Bakoyannis and other government figures who have opposed his decision to run for PASOK leadership while serving as Athens’ mayor. He accuses Bakoyannis of being fixated on him, suggesting that Bakoyannis might desire authority over Athens.

Haris Doukas and the Deputy Mayor of Municipal Police and Public Spaces, Thomas Georgiadis, had a meeting today at the town hall with the President of GSEVEE, Giorgos Kavvathas, and the President of EEA, Yannis Hatzitheodosiou.

Former Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis reiterated his call for current Mayor Harris Doukas to delegate his responsibilities to a deputy while Doukas runs for the PASOK leadership. 

The discussion was initiated by party officials citing Article 38 of the party’s constitution, which outlines incompatibilities for single-person positions such as president and secretary for those holding salaried roles in the state or local government.

Haris Doukas reiterated on Thursday that he intends to remain Mayor of Athens if he is elected leader of socialist PASOK in an October contest.

"I have explained the dual role. It is a complementary role, these are communicating vessels even though it has never been implemented in Greece," Doukas told Skai television.

PASOK MP Nadia Giannakopoulou has announced her candidacy for the party leadership race.

In a statement on Wednesday, the 46-year-old lawyer said her goal is to bring about a "new change… with a different model of governance."

PASOK Leadership Race: Candidates and Campaign Dynamics

The three candidates for the leadership of PASOK so far will meet in September. During the intervening days, Haris Doukas, Pavlos Geroulanos, and the current president, Nikos Androulakis, plan to seize every opportunity to promote their candidacies.

PASOK lawmakers Milena Apostolaki and Michalis Katrinis on Monday added their names to the other three politicians who announced they would run for party leader in the election scheduled for October 6 this year. 

The current mayor of Athens and an MP and former Culture Minister announced Sunday they will challenge current PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis in an October contest.

Mayor of Athens Haris Doukas, 44, and MP Pavlos Geroulanos, 58, announced their candidacies for the socialist party's leadership at a Central Political Committee meeting Sunday.