Greek PM offers early polls in return for lawmaker support

Athens

GREEK Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, seeking to rally lawmakers behind the government's candidate for president in a critical vote that could throw the country into new financial turmoil, offered on Sunday to set a date for early general elections towards the end of next year.

Mr Samaras' offer, in a televised speech, occurred in an increasingly polarised political climate, including claims that lawmakers had been offered bribes to back the government in the presidential vote.