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| Greek Premier Offers Early Elections in Return for Support for Candidate | Greek Premier Offers Early Elections in Return for Support for Candidate |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, seeking to rally lawmakers behind the government’s candidate for president in a critical vote that could throw the country into new financial turmoil, offered on Sunday to set a date for early elections toward the end of next year. | |
| Mr. Samaras’s offer, in a televised speech, occurred in an increasingly polarized political climate, including claims that lawmakers had been offered bribes to back the government in the presidential vote. | Mr. Samaras’s offer, in a televised speech, occurred in an increasingly polarized political climate, including claims that lawmakers had been offered bribes to back the government in the presidential vote. |
| On Tuesday, the Greek Parliament is to hold the second in a three-stage ballot in the presidential vote, which Mr. Samaras called this month. A victory by his candidate, Stavros Dimas, a former member of the European Commission, would be tantamount to a vote of confidence in his coalition, which is working with international creditors to help keep the country liquid. | On Tuesday, the Greek Parliament is to hold the second in a three-stage ballot in the presidential vote, which Mr. Samaras called this month. A victory by his candidate, Stavros Dimas, a former member of the European Commission, would be tantamount to a vote of confidence in his coalition, which is working with international creditors to help keep the country liquid. |
| But with just 155 seats in the 300-member Parliament, the government is certain to fall far short of the 200 votes required to approve Mr. Dimas. In the final ballot next Monday, the threshold for approval falls to 180 votes, a difficult but not impossible target. | But with just 155 seats in the 300-member Parliament, the government is certain to fall far short of the 200 votes required to approve Mr. Dimas. In the final ballot next Monday, the threshold for approval falls to 180 votes, a difficult but not impossible target. |
| If Mr. Dimas fails to garner at least 180 votes, a snap general election will be called. According to opinion polls, the leftist party Syriza, which opposes the terms of the country’s bailouts, would win early elections, potentially throwing the country’s economic course into disarray. | If Mr. Dimas fails to garner at least 180 votes, a snap general election will be called. According to opinion polls, the leftist party Syriza, which opposes the terms of the country’s bailouts, would win early elections, potentially throwing the country’s economic course into disarray. |
| Mr. Samaras, in his address, appealed to lawmakers to back Mr. Dimas. In exchange, he said, he would bring “pro-European personalities” into the government and set a date for elections “toward the end of 2015.” It was the first time Mr. Samaras has said general elections could take place before June 2016, when the term of his shaky coalition is set to end. | Mr. Samaras, in his address, appealed to lawmakers to back Mr. Dimas. In exchange, he said, he would bring “pro-European personalities” into the government and set a date for elections “toward the end of 2015.” It was the first time Mr. Samaras has said general elections could take place before June 2016, when the term of his shaky coalition is set to end. |
| “It is a national duty, and a dictate of common sense, that we conclude negotiations with creditors first,” the premier said, referring to talks with eurozone officials and the International Monetary Fund, which have extended bailouts to Greece worth 240 billion euros since 2010 in exchange for an array of painful austerity measures. | “It is a national duty, and a dictate of common sense, that we conclude negotiations with creditors first,” the premier said, referring to talks with eurozone officials and the International Monetary Fund, which have extended bailouts to Greece worth 240 billion euros since 2010 in exchange for an array of painful austerity measures. |
| The prospect of protracted political and financial upheaval has caused havoc on the markets, with Greek stocks plunging by a record, nearly 13 percent, on one day this month and the yield on 10-year bonds soaring to 9 percent. | The prospect of protracted political and financial upheaval has caused havoc on the markets, with Greek stocks plunging by a record, nearly 13 percent, on one day this month and the yield on 10-year bonds soaring to 9 percent. |
| Responding to Mr. Samaras’s announcement on Sunday, Syriza insisted on the need for elections without delay, saying the premier was simply seeking to continue austerity policies. | Responding to Mr. Samaras’s announcement on Sunday, Syriza insisted on the need for elections without delay, saying the premier was simply seeking to continue austerity policies. |
| But Mr. Samaras’s overture appeared to be chiefly targeting wavering independent lawmakers ahead of the presidential votes. He asked them to “listen to the voice of their conscience,” and he accused Syriza and a smaller right-wing party of making “groundless and sordid claims” that parliamentarians were being approached with bribes to back the government in the presidential vote. | But Mr. Samaras’s overture appeared to be chiefly targeting wavering independent lawmakers ahead of the presidential votes. He asked them to “listen to the voice of their conscience,” and he accused Syriza and a smaller right-wing party of making “groundless and sordid claims” that parliamentarians were being approached with bribes to back the government in the presidential vote. |
| Mr. Samaras’s comments came two days after a lawmaker from the right-wing party, Independent Greeks, claimed he had been offered money by a mediator to align with the government in the presidential votes. The lawmaker, Pavlos Haikalis, and the party leader, Panos Kammenos, testified before a prosecutor on Sunday in connection with a video that purported to show the attempted bribe. | Mr. Samaras’s comments came two days after a lawmaker from the right-wing party, Independent Greeks, claimed he had been offered money by a mediator to align with the government in the presidential votes. The lawmaker, Pavlos Haikalis, and the party leader, Panos Kammenos, testified before a prosecutor on Sunday in connection with a video that purported to show the attempted bribe. |
| The leader of Syriza, Alexis Tsipras, said he had been following the affair unfold “with my mouth open and nose closed due to the stench,” adding that Mr. Haikalis had “done his duty” by reporting the alleged bribery attempt. |