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Greek PM calls snap election, blames economic crisis
Wed Sep 2, 2009 3:22pm EDT
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By Dina Kyriakidou
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis on Wednesday called a snap national election, saying he needed a fresh mandate to deal with the economic crisis.
The move is risky because his scandal-plagued conservative New Democracy government trails the main opposition socialist PASOK party by about 6 percentage points in opinion polls.
But PASOK may not gather enough votes to form a government alone, which would plunge Greece into political uncertainty.
Karamanlis gave no date but a senior government source said it would be held on October 4.
"I am seeking a fresh political mandate," Karamanlis said in a televised speech to the nation.
"The consequences of the economic crisis are visible, we have two difficult, crucial years ahead of us."
On the day that a large bomb exploded outside the Athens stock exchange, causing heavy damage and wounding one woman, Karamanlis ended weeks of speculation on his intentions as his party kept dropping in opinion polls.
Police suspect the attack was by a leftist or anarchist group. Such groups have claimed responsibility for several attacks against businesses, cars and police this year.
The government's ratings were hit even more after criticism of its response to forest fires last month.
"We have to put emphasis on getting the economy moving," Karamanlis said. "Taking necessary measures imposes one solution: the clearing of the political landscape and a fresh popular mandate."
Seen by investors as the euro zone's riskiest bet, Greece is struggling to cope with the global slowdown that is threatening to push its economy into recession this year while its national debt is ballooning.
Elections were not due before 2011 but PASOK had said it would force one by March, when parliament elects a new president, pushing Karamanlis to pick a moment. His four-year term would normally end in 2011.
"The country could not afford an extended pre-election period over six months until March. The economic situation does not allow it. The government would not be able to take the tough measures required to fix the economy under these conditions," said Theodoros Livanios of the Opinion polling agency.
The socialists, themselves burdened with scandals during decades in government, have long pressed for an early vote and would have been in position to force one in March.
PASOK advocates a "green growth" economic model. They have said that if the election fails to win an outright majority, they will call for a second vote under a revised electoral law that makes it easier to form a government with fewer votes. Continued...
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