Greeks punishing their leaders

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ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greeks angered by a vicious and protracted financial crisis punished their two main parties in national elections Sunday, with exit polls projecting no outright winner and no party gaining enough votes to form a government.

The conservative New Democracy party appeared the most likely to win the top spot, while the extreme right-wing Golden Dawn seemed set to gain parliamentary seats for the first time. Days of talks are likely to ensue as parties attempt to hammer out a governing coalition.

The election will determine the country's course after years of austerity measures that have outraged voters but which were critical in convincing international creditors to extend Greece billions in loans to keep its debt-saddled economy afloat.

According to the exit poll commissioned by four major television stations, New Democracy was projected to win between 17 percent and 20 percent of the vote, the formerly majority PASOK socialists between 14 percent and 17 percent, and the left-wing Radical Left Coalition, or Syriza, between 15.5 percent and 18.5 percent. The figures, however, all fell within the margin of error.

The outgoing governing coalition consisted of PASOK and New Democracy. However, New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras had insisted before the election that he would not form another coalition with his socialist rivals, saying such a prospect would require too much haggling to be effective.

"The truth is here — the reality of this result is that at the moment this produces no government," said Theodoros Pangalos, outgoing deputy prime minister and senior PASOK official. "It is not a question at the moment of who gets a little more or a little less."

Greece is heavily dependent on billions of euros worth of international rescue loans from other European countries and the International Monetary Fund, and must impose yet more austerity measures next month to keep the bailout funds flowing and prevent a default and a potentially disastrous exit from the group of nations that use the euro currency.

Thirty-two parties were vying for the support of nearly 10 million registered voters, many of whom were undecided on the eve of the election.

Golden Dawn, which has vowed to kick out immigrants and mine Greece's borders with Turkey, was predicted to win between 6 and 8 percent, well above the 3 percent needed to enter parliament. "Greek citizens should not fear us, the only ones who should fear us are the traitors," Golden Dawn leader Nikolaos Michaloliakos told The Associated Press.

Official results were expected later Sunday night. Whatever they show, the outcome will be a blow to both New Democracy and PASOK, which have dominated Greek politics for nearly four decades but are paying the price for the country's financial crisis.

http://news.yahoo.com/greek-elections-3-parties-vie-top-position-164506868--finance.html