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No clear favorite in Greek elections
September 20, 1996
Web posted at: 5:00 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT)ATHENS, Greece (CNN) -- Political parties wrapped up their campaigns Friday as hundreds of thousands of Greek voters headed to their hometowns for a national election that appeared to have no clear favorite.
Polls showed the two main parties running neck-and-neck as Sunday's election neared, while four smaller parties were expected to win seats in the 300-member unicameral parliament.
The atmosphere leading up to these elections has been subdued. Parties have abandoned the huge rallies of the past, opting instead for television debates and slick television ads.
Premier Costas Simitis and his Panhellenic Socialist Movement, or PASOK, scheduled only one mass rally. Miltiades Evert, leader of the conservative New Democracy party, canceled his on Thursday.
"It's not as hot as it used to be in the past. Stakes are not as high," pollster Christina Badouna said.
Political analyst Kostas Arvanitopoulos added that he didn't think the Simitis or Evert are as charismatic as past Greek leaders. (20 sec./425K AIFF or WAV sound)
Voting mandatory
Simitis, who replaced the late Andreas Papandreou as premier and party chairman earlier this year, called for the elections a month ago, saying he wanted a fresh mandate to tackle problems in the economy and international policy.
It was supposed to be an easy win for him, but the political winds suddenly changed as Evert and his conservatives gained support.
PASOK and New Democracy advocate similar policies but disagree over each others' competence. In the most recent national opinion polls, each party held about 31 percent of the vote. An estimated 7.5 percent of voters were undecided.
In Greece, voting is mandatory for all citizens between 18 and 70, unless they are ill or are 120 miles (200 km) from their hometowns where they are registered. Those abstaining face the risk of a jail term of between one month and one year. They can also have their passports, driver's licenses and permits to practice a profession taken away.
Correspondent Hilary Bowker and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Greek prime minister warns Turkish troops on Cyprus - August 17, 1996
- Former Greek premier Papandreou dead after prolonged illness - June 22, 1996
- Simitis replaces Papandreou - January 18, 1996
Related sites:
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- Information on Greece from the CIA World Factbook
- Vryonis Center Greek politics page
- Facts about Greece
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