国际英语新闻:Greek radical left leader says no to memorandum, yes to national reconstruction plan

ATHENS, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Greek Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) party leader Alexis Tsipras insisted on Tuesday on the replacement of the bailout terms "that lead the country to bankruptcy" with a new national economic reconstruction plan to tackle the acute debt crisis.

"We just assume the responsibility to reconstruct the country from the ruins of the memorandum," Tsipras said during a press briefing in Athens, in the final stretch to the June 17 national elections.

As opinion polls show that the anti-bailout party stands neck-and-neck with the pro-bailout conservatives of New Democracy for the first place, Tsipras expressed confidence that SYRIZA in office could hold a productive dialogue with international creditors that keep Greece afloat with multi-billion euro loans since 2010.

"We will not go to the table of dialogue aggressively," he said, adding that SYRIZA's intention is to convince counterparts that heavy austerity in return of the two rescue package is catastrophic for the ailing economy, therefore the memorandum should be scrapped.

He responded to warnings that lenders could halt the disbursement of further loans to Greece in such a case, that a Greek chaotic default and exit from the euro, "will lead to the collapse of the European common currency that is to nobody's benefit."

Presenting the elements of "a new, democratic Greece with dignity, security, growth and social justice," Tsipras pledged to slash the Prime Minister's and cabinet ministers' salaries by half, fight corruption and bring under state control troubled banks.

He also promised to raise the minimum salaries for workers, increase corporate tax for high-earning businesses and seek a deal on the abolishment of certain tax breaks with Greek ship owners.

As pollsters and political analysts forecast that no party will win outright parliamentary majority on Sunday, as it happened in the May 6 inconclusive first general polls, and some party leaders already raise the prospect of a national unity government, SYRIZA's chief stressed that he will seek a "Left-wing coalition government" with the Greek Communist Party and the Democratic Left.

"On June 18 we should form a government for all Greeks, united. Not on June 19," he said, dismissing the idea of a third consecutive round of elections.

No party won enough votes to form a government after the May 6 elections and fresh polls were called in accordance with the Greek Constitution, after marathon coalition talks collapsed.