Energy minister Giorgos Stathakis has called for all necessary measures to be taken for the immediate replacement of the administration at gas utility DEPA, a development prompted by the government’s decision to stage early elections on July 7.

The new DEPA administration will assume the task of maintaining smooth operations at the gas company for a brief period until the country’s next government appoints a new DEPA administration of its choice.

Stathakis made the call for a leadership change at DEPA in a letter to the privatization fund TAIPED and Hellenic Petroleum ELPE, holding a 35 percent stake in the gas utility.

In the letter, addressed to TAIPED’s Rihardos Labiris and ELPE chairman Stathis Tsotsoros, the energy minister calls for the immediate replacement of DEPA Chief executive Dimitris Tzortzis (photo), proposing Velissarios Dotsis, a former DEPA chief, as an interim boss.