Greek PM pleased with election results, will not disolve parliament

Greece appears to have avoided a snap election after the prime minister shelved a threat to dissolve parliament following favourable election results. George Papandreou had said he would call the national ballot if his party was weakened in local elections over the weekend.

Reuters/Karahalis

Ahead of local and regional elections on Sunday, Papandreou had urged the electorate to give his government the mandate to press ahead with its unpopular austerity measures.

Early results show his Socialists have held their own.

"In this difficult year, we succeeded together," Papandreou said in a nationally televised address. "This difficult effort will continue."

Greece was saved from default in April by a massive bailout from the European Union and International Monetary Fund.

Since then the government has imposed the austerity drive to try to get the country back on track.

02:43

Correspondent Helena Smith

Clea Caulcutt

"Papandreou says he regards the vote as a fresh mandate - a vote of confidence by Greeks in his government's ability to take Greece along the road of economic recovery" says correspondent Helena Smith.

The results from Sunday's election so far show a high level of absenteeism with nearly half of voters failing to turn up.

Analysts said most constituencies would be decided in the second round, as few candidates managed to secure the necessary minimum.