Fires singe Greek government but snap poll likely

ATHENS, Aug 1 (Reuters) Greece's conservative government is likely to call early elections this year despite public anger over its response to a spate of deadly forest fires this summer.

Ilias Nikolakopoulos, director of polling company Opinion, said the handling of the fires would affect the government's image but ''I do not see the government changing its plans for elections this fall, towards the end of September''.

The fires, some of which burned for more than a week, killed at least nine people, including firefighters and pilots, destroyed more than 200,000 acres (80,940 hectares) of forests and torched dozens of homes.

The government's four-year term ends in March 2008 but there has long been speculation Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis will call an election while his party leads the opposition socialists in opinion polls by 1 to 2 percentage points.

Although there have been no polls on the fires, it is clear they will influence some voter groups, analysts say, and with the margin so narrow, the government cannot afford to lose them.

Residents of the Peloponnese region, badly hit by the fires, jeered a visit by ministers to the area yesterday and rejected the state's compensation plan as insufficient.

Opposition parties and environmental groups have criticised what they say were the shortcomings of the emergency services in fighting the blazes.

Anger over the government's handling of the fires comes when its popularity is already suffering due to a series of scandals, and violent street protests by students and teachers against education reforms.

Karamanlis, who swept to power in 2004 and ended 11 years of socialist rule, is pinning his re-election hopes on his turning the economy around with sustained growth and lower deficits.

''The prime minister will take into account all factors and developments before making a final decision on the elections,'' a government official, who declined to be named, told Reuters.

Karamanlis has asked all ministers to be back from holidays on August 20 and will give his annual financial and political address on September 7.

Elections must be called at least 20 days before the vote and some analysts say Karamanlis is unlikely to hold polls if parts of Greece are still burning in August or September.

''This is a very difficult time for the government,'' said Anthony Livanios, Director of Alpha Metrics polling company.

''The dominant scenario is still elections this fall. I am not sure about September but feel that by October the time will have come.'' REUTERS ARB RAI2012