Two main parties vie for support of wavering voters
With just a few days left until general elections, the country’s two main political parties are vying for the votes of a large portion of undecided citizens. The number of skeptics, estimated at around 300,000, has been shrinking over the past few days but not at the rate anticipated by ruling New Democracy and the main opposition PASOK. In a bid to avert traditional supporters from migrating to smaller parties, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and PASOK leader George Papandreou have tempered their opposition criticism with positive rhetoric and specific proposals. Karamanlis, speaking in the Cretan port of Iraklion, pledged to push through reforms. «I seek your mandate for a stable government… to make quick decisions and promote crucial reforms,» he said. «I make this commitment today,» he added. Meanwhile, in Thessaloniki, Papandreou appealed directly to wavering voters. «We appeal to those who remain undecided – to those who voted for increased transparency in 2004 but saw corruption grow,» he said. PASOK would «capsize the regime of social injustice» and keep VAT levels unchanged, Papandreou added. The PASOK chief also appealed to citizens who «see their future in employment or a 700-euro salary» in an apparent attempt to woo young people considering voting for Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA). SYRIZA’s leader Alekos Alavanos made a particularly good impression in a recent televised debate involving the leaders of the six main political parties. Papandreou and Karamanlis, who were both broadly criticized for their performance on the debate last week, are believed to have gained ground since then. Karamanlis is believed to have won favor among many conservative voters by expressing sensitivity about Greece’s name dispute with the neighboring Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) – a move expected to curb the feared migration of ND voters to the far-right Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS).
