Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou returns to an emergency cabinet meeting after he took a short break at the Greek parliament in Athens, on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011. A spokesman for Greece's government says it is prepared to discuss an opposition demand for the creation of a transitional government to approve the latest European bailout deal and secure the next installment of rescue loans for the country. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) (AP2011)
ATHENS -- Greece on Friday officially called of its ill-fated plan for a referendum on whether to accept a European bailout deal.
Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos said in a statement that European partners were informed of "Greece's decision not to hold a referendum."
Greek prime minister George Papandreou announced the referendum late Monday, surprising his Socialist party colleagues and enraging eurozone governments. The move sent global shares into free fall, and overshadowed the G-20 summit taking place in Cannes, France.
Venizelos himself broke ranks with Papandreou, saying he objected to a vote on whether the debt-hit country should stay in the euro.
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