AP News, September 14th, 2007
Greece's two main party leaders vying to become prime minister in Sunday's election:
_ COSTAS KARAMANLIS: 51-year-old head of the conservative New Democracy party. His late uncle, Constantine Karamanlis, served five times as prime minister and another two as president. Karamanlis took over the party in March 1997. Narrowly lost 2000 elections to socialist PASOK party, led at the time by Costas Simitis. Became youngest prime minister in Greece's modern history in 2004, when he was elected with more than 45 percent of the vote and 165 of parliament's 300 seats. With figures showing a budget deficit of nearly 8 percent, much of his term was spent with Greece under European Union budgetary supervision.
A bond scandal and devastating forest fires whittled his party's lead before he called elections six months early, although his personal ratings have remained higher than those of his main rival.
_ GEORGE PAPANDREOU: 55-year-old leader of the socialist PASOK party founded by his father, Andreas Papandreou, who led it to three election victories from 1981-93. George Papandreou's grandfather and namesake twice served as prime minister in the 1960s. Was education minister from 1994-96 after a brief stint in that post in 1988-89, and as foreign minister from 1999-2004. Elected to head PASOK in January 2004 after a deal with Simitis, who remained prime minister until the March 2004 defeat. Is president of the Socialist International. Born in St. Paul, Minn., to a Greek father and an American mother, he has often been criticized for not being sufficiently Greek.
