BEIJING, June 16 (Xinhuanet) -- As Greeks prepare to vote once again at the weekend, concern, and even fear fills the air. Depending on the outcome of Sunday’s election, Greece could be forced out of the European joint currency. But due to the close poll position of the parties, it's hard to make a prediction of the outcome.
A final campaign rally ahead of Sunday’s decision day for Greece. All eyes will be on round two of elections after a vote in May left the country in deadlock. This time round, it’s being viewed as a referendum on whether the country stays in the euro or leaves it. In his final attempt to convince voters, the head of Greece’s radical leftist SYRIZA party, Alexis Tsipras, promised to rip up the conditions attached to the country’s international bailout agreement. He’s won a huge following among the young and unemployed, and his rise has been one of the biggest stories of the election.
Alexis Tsipras, Syriza Leader, said, "As of Monday, together with the people, we begin a new era. An era of great changes and reforms for the people. On Monday, the bailout will be history. Monday will be a new era of growth and social solidarity. Together, we will begin to change the country."
The financial markets are poised for the worst. Central banks around the world say they're ready for a possible financial storm or public panic after the weekend’s election. Measures could include co-ordinated action to stabilize financial markets. The head of trading at ETX Capital, Joe Rundle, says a win for Tsiparas wouldn’t be as dramatic as initially thought.
Joe Rundle, Head of Trading at ETX Captical, said, "I don’t expect a complete meltdown. I actually expect SYRIZA to go to the ECB and probably be less strict on their demands. So I don’t expect much to happen even if SYRIZA get in. They can’t afford a euro exit because they have got to pay their workers."
Tsipras was neck and neck in the last published polls with New Democracy Party leader Antonis Samaras. Samaras is determined to persuade Greeks that the only way to prevent economic collapse is to stay in the euro.
Antonis Samaras, New Democracy Party Leader, said, "We cannot play poker or dice with Greece. There is the path of responsibility, in which you are clear about what you want, and we say we want the euro and re-negotiation. There are others who are vague, they don’t speak clearly and in our opinion, that's the path of irresponsibility."
Going into the last election, Samaras’ main competition was Evangelos Venizelos. It was the then finance minister Venizelos who negotiated the two big EU bailouts.This time around, the top two players have changed and pollsters say the vote is too close to predict.
(Source: cntv.cn)