Nikos Karagounis

The Honourable Nikos Karagounis, Prime Minister of Pacitalia (2005). Karagounis was born on September 9, 1961 in Amita, Pacitalia. Karagounis graduated from Eastern Pacitalian University in 1984 with a Masters degree in Political Science. He ran for MPP in Amita-North in the 1985 general elections as a Pacifist (that party is now the Capitalist Party), but lost to a Conservative candidate. Running in the 1988 elections with Francesco Santo Ragazzo as the leader of the Pacifists, he won that constituency by a 65-24 margin over the Liberal candidate. During his tenure as MPP he was Minister of Transportation and then in 1992 put in the Education portfolio. A 1994 cabinet shuffle saw him shuffled over to Law, Order & Justice. He was successful in a third run as MPP in 1996 under the new party leader, Timothy Ell, and was given the Transportation portfolio again. In the 2000 elections, Ell promoted him to Junior Deputy Prime Minister and in 2002, he was given the Senior Deputy Prime Minister chair which put him second-in-command. Ell and Karagounis were good friends both in government and out, and Ell once stated that 'he is destined to become leader of this country one day. If he doesn't get there, I'll be shocked.'

Sadly, SDPM Karagounis took office because of Ell's death on January 22, 2005. Ell was assassinated by one of his aides (via a powerful poison in his glass of wine) at supper. Karagounis immediately assumed the role of Prime Minister as said in the Constitution. He will continue to be Prime Minister up to the election date, which is yet to be called because also according to the Constitution, if a PM dies before he finishes his term, he must be buried first before an election call can be made as a sign of respect.