Athens - Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis called early general elections on Wednesday, saying the nation needed a new mandate in order to push through tough reforms to bring it out of an economic crisis. Karamanlis did not announce a date for the election but news reports said it is expected on October 4.
The ruling government's four-year term normally ends in 2011 and the prime minister said he would ask President Carolos Papoulias to dissolve parliament on Thursday.
"We are asking Greeks to trust us to take it out of a difficult economic crisis, and I am asking for a fresh political mandate to do this," Karamanlis said in a televised address to the nation.
"If we do not act immediately then the consequences will be great, with 2010 a difficult year ahead for the economy."
Greece has been hard hit by the global financial crisis, specifically in the fields of tourism, shipping and construction.
The country is struggling to reign in a rising national debt which is ranked as the second biggest in the euro zone as well as rising unemployment.
Polls have the main opposition PASOK Socialist party leading by 6 points against the ruling conservatives.
The conservatives, who currently have a one seat majority in parliament, have been hit by months of scandals and their popularity has sunk further after recent wildfires hit the Greek capital last month.
Although an election was not due for another two years, the Socialists had said it would force one by March when parliament elects a new president.
