Early polls brushed aside
Ministers played down talk yesterday of the government calling early elections despite persistent rumors from within the ruling New Democracy party that the prime minister will go to the polls next year rather than see out a full four-year term. Speaking after separate meetings with Premier Costas Karamanlis yesterday, Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas attempted to divert attention from increasing speculation about when the next general elections will be held. «At the moment, I can only see plenty of work ahead, not elections,» said Bakoyannis. «The government’s program is being carried out with a view to fulfilling the four-year term,» said Sioufas. «These are the prime minister’s instructions and that is how we will proceed for the time being.» Karamanlis also indicated in an article that he wrote for the special end-of-year edition of The Economist magazine that he has no intention of going to the polls much sooner than March 2008, when ND’s term ends. «With a view to the 2008 elections and beyond, we are continuing our strategy through constant, exhaustive and honest discussion,» Karamanlis said in his article. Despite the efforts of high-ranking officials to dissuade talk of early elections, speculation among ND deputies is still rife. Sources said that many MPs believe Karamanlis will call elections at least six months before the end of the government’s term. The guesswork was fueled during last week’s budget debate in Parliament when the prime minister responded to PASOK’s call for early elections by telling the Socialists to «be careful what you wish for, because it might come true.» PASOK sources said that the party is preparing for early elections as the Socialists believe that Karamanlis will try to take advantage of ND’s lead in the opinion polls. During a visit to the Aglaia Kyriakou Hospital in Athens yesterday, PASOK leader George Papandreou accused the government of creating bigger problems in the health service by «systematically underfunding» it over the last three years.
