|
Voters punish conservatives:
Landslide victory for Greek Socialists
GREECE: Greece's Socialists on Sunday won a landslide election
victory on promises they would tax and spend to battle an economic
crisis that the incumbent conservatives failed to get to grips with.
In a clash between heirs of famous political dynasties, socialist
PASOK leader George Papandreou defeated outgoing prime minister Costas
Karamanlis at the third attempt, having lost the last two elections in
2004 and 2007.
Cheering, drums and horns echoed through central Athens and the
streets were awash in green flags and dancing supporters.
"Today we change the course for Greece and for our lives. Today we
start a great national effort to put our country on a course of
recovery, development and creation," Papandreou told reporters after
claiming victory in front of a cheering crowd. According to an Interior
Ministry projection, PASOK will hold a comfortable majority in
parliament at a time when the Mediterranean country, seen as the euro
zone's weakest link, needs a strong government to deal with an economy
on the verge of recession.
Papandreou, 57, had promised a 3 billion euro ($4.36 billion)
stimulus package on a platform of taxing the rich and helping the poor,
while Karamanlis, 53, called for two years of austerity. Karamanlis
conceded defeat at the election centre in central Athens and resigned
from his party's leadership. "I want to congratulate George Papandreou
for his victory," he told reporters. "Our government faced the storm of
the most serious post-war crisis... Citizens did not approve my plan."
Opinion polls had indicated Greeks were fed up with five years of
conservative rule that started with high hopes for ending endemic
corruption but soon sank into scandal.
"We feel like a heavy weight has been lifted," said PASOK supporter
Litsa Moraitou, 55. "They had promised to fight corruption but it was a
lie. Now we can hope again."
With 50 percent of the ballots counted, PASOK had 43.6 percent of the
vote and New Democracy trailed behind with 35 percent.
Athens, Monday, Reuters |
