Greeks agree coalition government without Papandreou
George Papandreou had already made clear his willingness to step aside Greek leaders at crisis talks in Athens have agreed to form a new coalition government, the president's office says.
Beleaguered Prime Minister George Papandreou has agreed that he will not lead the coalition, the statement said.
He and main opposition leader Antonis Samaras attended the talks, hosted by President Karolos Papoulias.
More talks will take place in the morning to decide who will lead the coalition.
Once the new leader has been named, the president will invite all parties to join the national unity government, the statement said.
The announcement follows a week of political turmoil over Greece's debt crisis.
Mr Papandreou had been trying to build a national unity government but Mr Samaras, of the New Democracy party, had been refusing to negotiate unless Mr Papandreou resigned first.
The two men also disagreed sharply on the timing of new elections, with Mr Papandreou seeking a delay of several months while Mr Samaras wanted them immediately.
There has been speculation that the new governing coalition could be led by Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos.
News of the talks involving President Papoulias emerged after an emergency cabinet meeting led by Mr Papandreou.
Both Mr Papandreou and Mr Samaras had held separate talks with the president during the weekend.
Mr Papandreou has continued to insist that a general election should not be held for several months, while Mr Samaras has demanded snap elections.
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