Second round of voting for SYRIZA-PA leader between 8:00 and 20:00 on Sunday
epa10880359 epa10880370 Effie Achtsioglou,and Stefanos Kasselakis. EPA, ALEXANDROS VLACHOS
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The second and final round of elections for the new leader of the main opposition SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance party began at 8:00 on Sunday. The vote is only open to party members, who are called to choose between the two top candidates in the last round, Effie Achtsioglou and Stefanos Kasselakis.
The polls will shut at 20:00 on Sunday, with 538 polling stations throughout the country and, unlike in the first round, only those already registered as SYRIZA party members or who cast their votes in the first round of the elections have the right to vote.
Despite the clear lead won by Kasselakis in the first round, when he received 44.91% of the vote against 36.18% for Achtsioglou, analysts consider that the election will be a close race. Kasselakis has the support for first-round rival Nikos Pappas, who got 8.68% of the vote in the first round, while Achtsioglou has a clear thumbs up from first-round candidates Euclid Tsakalotos, who came third with 8.93%, and Stefanos Tzoumakas.
Supporters of Achtsioglou highlight her greater experience as a politician compared to her rival, who is a relative newcomer to the party and to Greek politics and already caused a stir with a misstep in statements about the Cyprus issue. Positive elements in Kasselakis’ campaign include his perceived potential as a political rival to ruling New Democracy who can restore SYRIZA-PA’s waning influence and a fresh face untarnished by association with the difficulties of the last eight years.
Achtsioglou will be casting her vote at the Athens district of Egaleo’s town hall at 11:00, while Kasselakis will be casting his at the Galaxias cultural center in Nea Smyrni at noon.
Source: ANA-MPA
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