(ANSAmed) - ATHENS, MAY 4 - The briefest and most uncertain
electoral campaign in Greece's recent history is approaching its
end: for the final day of campaigning, the leaders of all the
parties have taken to the field. Prominent in their appearances
are Antonis Samaras, head of Nea Dimokratia (ND), the
centre-right party leading in the polls, and Evangelos
Venizelos, Chair of the Socialist Pasok party. Their mission: to
shake the electorate out of its slumber of mistrust in politics
and apathy that has overtaken it during these recent years of
economic crisis.
While Mr Venizelos will be speaking at this evening's final
PASOK rally in Syntagma Square in Athens, Mr Samaras has already
launched his appeal for a landslide victory for ND. According to
the polls, however, the party would be forced into a coalition
government if it wins. But Mr Samaras has ruled out a repeat of
the arrangement whereby the governing majority supports the
'technocrat' government of Lucas Papademos, an arrangement his
party currently engages in with the Socialists: "A coalition
would not be in the interests of the Greek people. It would only
be in the interests of PASOK, of corruption and of the lobbies.
We want to overturn the policies of PASOK, and not forever seek points of balance" he warned. As several analysts and sources inside the party see it, a 'No' from Nea Dimokratia to any coalition government would make fresh elections necessary with a matter of months. According to the polls, ND has around 23% and PASOK between 16% and 18% of the vote. Greek voters appear to want to reward the anti-austerity parties, while the two main forces have been backing the Draconian policies of the Papademos government, which have served the purpose of obtaining loans from the international community. This would appear to be the case both on the left and on the right of the voting spectrum. The extreme right-wing Golden Dawn party, a thinly disguised pro-Nazi movement, looks like it may succeed in placing a representative in Parliament, despite the warnings given by Mr Samaras: "Right-wing extremists promise paradise, but this would be attained using instruments taken from hell. Voters, let us isolate the Nazis: political monsters such as these should not exist in Greece, nor in its Parliament". The Conservative leader went on to promise the introduction of laws allowing illegal immigrants to be expelled from Greece. This is a favourite subject for the extreme right and it appears to have struck a chord among Greek voters who have been shaken and frightened by the crisis. (ANSAmed).
We want to overturn the policies of PASOK, and not forever seek points of balance" he warned. As several analysts and sources inside the party see it, a 'No' from Nea Dimokratia to any coalition government would make fresh elections necessary with a matter of months. According to the polls, ND has around 23% and PASOK between 16% and 18% of the vote. Greek voters appear to want to reward the anti-austerity parties, while the two main forces have been backing the Draconian policies of the Papademos government, which have served the purpose of obtaining loans from the international community. This would appear to be the case both on the left and on the right of the voting spectrum. The extreme right-wing Golden Dawn party, a thinly disguised pro-Nazi movement, looks like it may succeed in placing a representative in Parliament, despite the warnings given by Mr Samaras: "Right-wing extremists promise paradise, but this would be attained using instruments taken from hell. Voters, let us isolate the Nazis: political monsters such as these should not exist in Greece, nor in its Parliament". The Conservative leader went on to promise the introduction of laws allowing illegal immigrants to be expelled from Greece. This is a favourite subject for the extreme right and it appears to have struck a chord among Greek voters who have been shaken and frightened by the crisis. (ANSAmed).
