LEAD: Negotiations for Greek unity government enter fourth day

Nov 10, 2011, 10:08 GMT

Athens - Greece's efforts to find a new interim prime minister entered a fourth day Thursday, with the president hosting a meeting of party leaders in an effort to break an impasse.

Greek President Karolos Papoulias was holding talks with outgoing Prime Minister George Papandreou; the main opposition conservatives led by Antonis Samaras; and the leader of the right-wing LAOS party Giorgos Karatzaferis, in an effort to settle on a new prime minister and cabinet.

'This is the third time I have come here for this issue and I hope that it is the last,' Samaras said as he arrived for the meeting.

Greece is under increasing international pressure to finally decide on a new prime minister to head an interim government, which will secure a new 130-billion-euro (175.6-billion-dollar) European debt deal and ensure that Greece receives the next instalment of a multibillion-euro emergency bailout.

Athens could be forced into bankruptcy before the end of the year without the approval of the deal and the associated release of an 8-billion-euro loan instalment.

Former European Central Bank vice president Lucas Papademos has once again emerged as a leading candidate to head the new national unity government, which is to have a caretaker role until elections on February 19, 2012.

The crisis turned political last week after Papandreou said he would put the new European rescue package to a referendum, causing markets to tumble around the world and angering European leaders. He later reneged on the referendum.