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Roundup: Greek transitional gov't sworn in ahead of snap polls, pollsters see narrow Leftist lead

Xinhua, August 28, 2015 Adjust font size:

Greece's new transitional government was formally sworn in on Friday to lead the country to snap general polls next month, as a new opinion survey showed that the Radical Left SYRIZA party of former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras may win with marginal difference falling short of parliamentary majority.

The Leftist leader quit the premiership last week to trigger the elections just eight months after the previous national polls, seeking a "fresh strong mandate" to implement the bailout his government agreed to with the debt-laden country's lenders to exit the five-year economic crisis.

After the failure of the leaders of the three largest parties in the outgoing parliament to form a unity administration, the Supreme Court top judge Vassiliki Thanou took over on Thursday evening under the Constitution, becoming Greece's first female prime minister.

"All members of the government are ready to do their best so that the elections are conducted fairly and all other matters be resolved in an excellent manner," she said, addressing the first cabinet meeting on Friday, after the swearing in ceremony at the Presidential mansion.

Later on Friday a presidential decree was due to be issued on the immediate dissolution of the parliament that will also set the ballot date most likely for Sept. 20.

Meanwhile, an opinion poll released on Friday showed that the major winner in the forthcoming elections will be "indecision" and no party will gain a clear parliamentary majority, therefore post election alliances will be needed to form a new administration.

According to the survey conducted by polling firm ProRata for the "Efimerida ton Syntakton" (Editors' Newspaper), 25.5 percent of Greek voters have not yet decided how they will cast ballots.

SYRIZA which was elected in January with 36 percent of votes is leading with a narrow margin ahead of the conservative New Democracy party by 23 percent against 19.5 percent, according to the poll.

Following a dramatic U-turn from initial anti-austerity pledges "to keep Greece afloat and in the euro zone," Tsipras' party seems to have lost steam, according to pollsters.

The far-Right Golden Dawn (Chryssi Avghi) seems that it will remain the third largest party in the new assembly winning 6.5 percent of votes.

The Communist party KKE follows with 5 percent, the socialists of PASOK with 4.5, and the centrist River (Potami) party with 4 percent, according to Friday's published estimates.

According to the ProRata survey, the anti-bailout Popular Unity party which was formed last week by lawmakers who broke away from SYRIZA, will receive 3.5 percent of votes.

The poll also showed that the center-Left Centrists' Union party will garner the required 3 percent threshold needed to enter the new assembly, while the Right-wing Independent Greeks party (ANEL), the junior coalition partner in Tsipras' government, will win only 2 percent.

According to the same survey, 64 percent of respondents did not agree with Tsipras' decision to force the elections, while seven out of ten supported Greece's stay in the eurozone at any cost. Enditem