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live Over 200,000 people elected Venizelos for leader of PASOK

18 March 2012 / 21:03:16  GRReporter
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Evangelos Venizelos is the new leader of PASOK after today's vote, which passed with a larger than expected turnout. 788 polling centres with more than 1,000 sections for the elections were opened throughout the country to greet around 50,000 voters. However, voters proved to be much more and according to Evangelos Venizelos’ press centre they reached 200,000. This necessitated the Election Day to be extended twice and it ended shortly after 7 pm. From all voters, about 85 percent voted for the current Finance Minister, and about 15 percent of the ballots were invalid. It is expected that tomorrow Evangelos Venizelos will resign from the post of Finance Minister.

The Party nuclei exercised its right for voice and so made it clear that the Socialists are ready for revival. Ordinary voters also got carried away, leaning towards the centre left, as well as parliament members and executives of the party, who voted against its official line. In many polling stations, however, leaflets were distributed of a previously unknown "group for the recovery of PASOK" who called for the vote with invalid ballots in order for "Venizelos to end up in the collapsed offices of the party."

Evangelos Venizelos was also voted for by the following parliament members, who have left the ranks of the party: Vasso Papandreou, Milena Apostolaki, Mariliza Ksenoyianakopoulou and Christos Verelis. Greeks abroad also participated in the election for leader of PASOK, where activity was also greater than expected. In Australia, many more than the registered party members have given their voice.

Incidents were also part of the Election Day. In the northern Athens suburb of Vrilissia 30-something people threw yoghurt pots and shouted against the people who waited in line to vote. In Crete farmers blocked the polls as a sign of starting tomorrow the dockers' strike. In the Achaia region of the Peloponnese one election center remained closed, and there was some short-lived unrest in Loutraki.

Tags: PASOK elections Venizelos Greece
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