http://www.theage.com.au/world/greek-socialists-in-resounding-election-win-20091005-gjdn.html
Greek socialists in resounding election win JOHN HADOULIS, ATHENS October 6, 2009 George Papandreou waves to supporters outside his party's headquarters in Athens. Photo: AFP GREEK socialist leader George Papandreou has pledged to ''turn a page'' on scandals and economic malaise associated with the departing conservative government, which suffered a shocking electoral defeat. ''We have a mandate to turn a new page,'' Mr Papandreou said as supporters of his Pasok party celebrated the socialists' return to power following Sunday's vote after more than five years in opposition. ''Today we start together the great national effort of placing the country back on a course of revival, development and creation,'' he said. Pasok supporters honked horns and waved flags as the party's unexpectedly resounding victory became apparent: with more than 70 per cent of polling stations accounted for, the socialists prevailed by nearly 10 points over the ruling New Democracy conservatives. Polls before the election had given Pasok a seven-point lead at best. It garnered 43.89 per cent of the vote and hopes for a 159-seat majority in Parliament. The conservatives were held to 34.35 per cent and mustered 94 seats, according to incomplete results. Facing the prospect of New Democracy's worst showing in 35 years, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis conceded defeat early in the night and resigned his party chairmanship. ''The only responsible and honest course of action for me is one: I assume responsibility for the result and will launch procedures for the election of a new party leader,'' an emotional Mr Karamanlis said. The defeated prime minister said he would not stand as a candidate in an emergency party congress to be held in a month's time. The Pasok victory makes its leader the third Papandreou to govern Greece since World War II after his father, Andreas - who founded the party - and his grandfather and namesake George Papandreou, Greece's first prime minister after the country's liberation from German occupation in 1944. Mr Karamanlis called the snap election two years ahead of schedule after his administration was mired in scandal and hamstrung by a one-seat majority in Parliament for months. He said a government with a fresh mandate was needed to deal with the effects of the economic crisis with the Greek economy hovering above recession. Buoyed for years by annual growth of about 4 per cent, partly attributed to EU funds, Greece's output growth is near zero and its public debt is set to exceed 100 per cent of gross domestic product this year. Mr Papandreou, 57, aims to invigorate the economy with salary and pension rises above the inflation rate in 2010. He also has a 100-day plan to boost the market, create jobs and clean up public finances. AFP [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
