Bribes-vote pressure on Greek PM

Costas Karamanlis could be left without a majority

Greek MPs are to vote on whether a colleague must face a corruption trial - a move that would pile pressure on a government with a razor-thin majority.

Aristotle Pavlides, a former minister, is alleged to have solicited bribes in return for granting shipping contracts.

Defeat in the vote might force the governing New Democracy party, which holds 151 of parliament's 300 seats, into an early election.

Mr Pavlides denies any wrongdoing and has refused to resign his seat.

He would not be forced to step down even if MPs vote to send him for trial - but Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis would face intense pressure to sack him from the centre-right New Democracy party, leaving it with 150 seats.

All opposition parties have urged MPs to vote against Mr Pavlides. The government has backed him but correspondents say it fears some of its members will break ranks.

Popularity dented

It is the latest corruption scandal to hit the government.

In October two ministers resigned after it emerged that state land was given to a monastery on Mount Athos, in return for much less valuable land.

Previously, a labour minister quit after employing uninsured immigrants, and his predecessor was forced out amid a bond-trading scandal.

The government's popularity has also been badly dented by the financial crisis, and the shooting by police of a teenaged boy that triggered riots in December.

If forced to call a general election to coincide with European elections next month, New Democracy would face a strong challenge from the socialist PASOK party, which is ahead in the polls.

bbc