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Greek main opposition conservative party holds elections for new leader

Xinhua, December 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

Greece's main opposition conservative New Democracy (ND) party held a first round of elections to pick a new leader on Sunday.

Party members gathered at about 900 polling centers nationwide to cast their votes throughout the day, with party officials noting that the process was running without major problems.

A month ago the elections were postponed due to severe technical glitches that fueled tensions within the four candidates.

Vangelis Meimarakis, a veteran party heavyweight who served as interim leader from July to November, was leading the race, according to opinion polls.

Meimarakis, a former Parliament Speaker and Minister of Defense, took over as transitional party chairman after former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' resignation from the party leadership in July following the referendum on Greece's new bailout agreement with international lenders.

Meimarakis handed the interim leadership to deputy chairman Yanis Plakiotakis after the failure to hold the party elections on Nov. 22.

Political analysts in Athens noted that Meimarakis has the most conciliatory tone among the contenders towards the Left-led government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

If elected the conservatives might consider joining a ruling coalition with the Left to avoid new snap elections in case of a government crisis, they said.

Among the other contenders were former Administrative Reform Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, scion of a political dynasty who represents the liberal wing of the party, and Central Macedonia Governor Apostolos Tzitzikostas, also scion of a political dynasty who presents himself as the main representative of the younger generations.

One of them will most likely pass to the second round of elections on Jan. 10, according to pollsters, as none of the candidates was expected to win the 50 percent of votes needed for the election of party leader from the first round.

Also vying for the post was former Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, another representative of the younger generations of conservatives, who stressed that he is a self-made businessman who has entered politics without the support of a political dynasty. Endit