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Greece in last day of campaigns

Demonstrators stretch out a Greek flag in Athens, Greece on February 10, 2012. UPI/Giorgos Moutafis
Demonstrators stretch out a Greek flag in Athens, Greece on February 10, 2012. UPI/Giorgos Moutafis | License Photo

ATHENS, Greece, May 4 (UPI) -- Greek politicians were in their last day of campaigning Friday, two days ahead of parliamentary elections, officials say.

Voters are given a day of contemplation Saturday before going to the polls Sunday, Ekathimerini.com reported.

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Although Greece's two main parties -- New Democracy and the socialist PASOK party -- have had few public rallies heading into the elections, leaders from both parties hosted campaign events Friday.

PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos spoke in Athens and promised to reform Greece's economic and tax model set up by previous governments, Italy's ANSA news agency reported.

Venizelos said PASOK's biggest goals are to make Greece economically autonomous and an equal member of the European Union.

PASOK's popularity among voters has risen to 18 percent in polls.

Antonis Samaras, head of the center-right New Democracy party, Friday predicted a landslide victory, ANSA said, but his party is polling just above PASOK at 23 percent.

Samaras said he isn't interested in running a coalition government with PASOK.

"A coalition would not be in the interests of the Greek people. It would only be in the interests of PASOK, of corruption and of the lobbies," he said. "We want to overturn the policies of PASOK and not forever seek points of balance."

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Samaras also spoke out against the extreme right-wing, nationalist party Golden Dawn, a pro-Nazi movement.

"Right-wing extremists promise paradise but this would be attained using instruments taken from hell. Voters, let us isolate the Nazis: political monsters such as these should not exist in Greece, nor in its Parliament," he said.

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