Olympian task for new Greek leader
| Karamanlis had gone into the campaign well ahead in opinion polls. |
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ATHENS, Greece -- Greece's next prime minister has pledged to make this summer's Olympic Games in Athens "the best and safest ever held."
New Democracy Party chief Costas Karamanlis won a resounding victory in Sunday's elections and wasted no time in making the Olympics a top priority.
Before making his victory speech, the conservative leader met Athens Olympics head organizer Gianna Angelopoulos to discuss strategy.
With the Summer Games only five months away, there are worries that many projects -- including a roof for the main Olympic stadium and a key transportation link -- may not be finished in time.
"We must make the best efforts so the Olympic Games are the best and safest ever held. It is a great opportunity for Greece to show its modern face," Karamanlis told cheering supporters.
Greece's conservatives reclaimed power Sunday after decade of rule by George Papandreou's Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement.
Papandreou conceded defeat Sunday evening, saying: "This is a turning point in Greek history. It is now time to focus on economic matters."
The conservatives face huge tasks: completing the badly delayed projects for the August 13-29 Olympics and making sure the $800 million security network keeps pace with possible threats.
The Greek economy was a central issue in the election campaign.
Voting is compulsory in Greece, which has a population of 11 million. There are nearly 10 million registered voters, a large number attributed to an aging population and many Greeks living abroad.
The main choice had been between the inheritors of two family dynasties that have dominated modern Greek politics.
On the right was Karamanlis, 47, nephew of a former prime minister who led Greece out of military dictatorship.
New Democracy Party supporters celebrate Sunday's victory. | |
On the left was Papandreou, 52, grandson and son of former prime ministers, who was bidding to win the party's fourth consecutive election since 1993.
Karamanlis becomes the first Greek head of government born after World War II and the bitter 1946-49 civil war between conservatives and communists that followed.
The Socialists had governed Greece since 1981 except for a three-year break in 1990-1993, when New Democracy was in power. But the Socialists have been beset by widespread perceptions of corruption, patronage and an inability to rein in Greece's huge bureaucracy.
Greeks also complained of rising prices and a declining standard of living since the country adopted the euro two years ago.
Much of Papandreou's popularity rested on his success at improving once-hostile relations with neighboring Turkey and his famous name.
His father, the late Premier Andreas Papandreou, founded the party three decades ago and built it into a powerhouse by doling out civil service jobs and appealing to Greek insecurities -- especially toward U.S. policies in the region.
But Karamanlis also is the scion of a Greek political dynasty. New Democracy was founded in 1974 by his uncle and namesake, former premier and president Constantine Karamanlis.
His promises were of smaller government, less bureaucracy and fewer taxes. Karamanlis also pledged more funds for social welfare, education and health.
Each side had criticized the other for the Olympic construction delays.
CNN Senior International Correspondent Walter Rodgers contributed to this report