ATHENS

Greece is headed for snap elections, as Popular Unity party leader Panagiotis Lafazanis renounced efforts to form a government Thursday.

Lafazanis received the exploratory mandate to form a government three days ago, but has now handed the mandate back to President Prokopis Pavlopoulos. The president is now expected to appoint a caretaker prime minister, who will set up a caretaker government which will remain in place until elections are held.

It is possible that the president will call a meeting of all party leaders before officially calling for elections. But it is unlikely that such a meeting will be held, as Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has already said he will not attend.

Leaving the presidential mansion, Lafazanis told the press that elections should not be held earlier than September 27 and that Pavlopoulos should convene a political leaders' council.

Lafazanis said that the president's job was to "protect the letter and spirit of the constitution" and especially the ability of the Greek people to freely vote with full information about the election.

"It is a provocation to rush to elections," he added, noting that the time periods foreseen by the constitution must be fully exhausted and that elections must not be held earlier than September 27.

"It is the president's responsibility to rise to this democratic challenge. He will be responsible if he does not and, if he does not, we will be forced to make statements that we would not like to make."