Greek voters prepare for elections

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ATHENS, Greece, May 5 (UPI) -- As Greeks head to the polls Sunday, they are expected to vote for smaller parties as a way of punishing mainstream parties, officials say.

Mainstream parties such as right-leaning New Democracy and socialist PASOK are expected to each take about 20 percent of the vote in Sunday's parliamentary elections, CNN reported.

New Democracy and PASOK leaders would then have to form some sort of coalition government. The coalition government being replaced passed a series of austerity measures to secure emergency bailout funding for Greece, upsetting many Greeks.

Antonis Samaras, leader of New Democracy, said he is not interested in running a coalition government and called for "a strong mandate to change everything."

"I don't want to rule jointly with PASOK and it is not in the interest of the Greek people for such a joint governance to take place," Samaras said.

Meanwhile, fringe groups are expected to take smaller portions of the Parliament, the report said.

Golden Dawn, an ultra-conservative nationalist party, is expected to take about 5 percent of the vote. LAOS, another far-right party, could take about 3 percent of the vote.

Surveys show far-left groups are also likely to win greater support. SYRIZA, the Coalition of the Radical Left, may take just over 10 percent, with the Communist Party of Greece getting about the same amount.

"Without a radical political change, a large section of the people will be fully bankrupted," said KKE leader Aleka Papariga.