Mitsotakis elected New Democracy President

According to unofficial results, the former administrative reform ministercaptured more than 52 per cent of the vote to below 48 per cent for Evangelos Meimarakis, a former speaker of parliament.
Claiming victory, Mr Mitsotakis pledged to rebuild the fractious conservative party and put up strong opposition to “an ineffectual and populist” government.

“We have a mandate from our members to revive the party and put the past behind us,” he said in a reference to long-running feuds among senior New Democracy politicians.

The final result will be announced later today. Mitsotakis is due to take over officially as New Democracy president from caretaker leader Yiannis Plakiotakis at noon on Monday.

Mr. Mitsotakis is an advocate of market-oriented economic overhauls, including slimming down Greece’s often-inefficient state, the Wall Street Journal reports.. His surprise victory in Sunday’s party leadership ballot provides a boost to the cause of economic reforms of the kind demanded by Greece’s creditors, whose bailout loans have been keeping Greece from bankruptcy since 2010.

Mr. Mitsotakis had won 51% of the vote, with his rival, former party leader Vagelis Meimarakis, on 49%, based on an incomplete vote. Many of the uncounted votes late Sunday were in Athens, a stronghold of Mr. Mitsotakis, leading party officials to say the outcome was clear.
Mr. Meimarakis, who went into Sunday’s ballot as favorite, conceded defeat and wished Mr. Mitsotakis luck as leader in a tweet.

In comments minutes after the election results were made public, Mr. Mitsotakis called for unity in a party whose factional rivalries and lack of a clear direction have weakened its ability to challenge Prime Minister Tsipras and the ruling left-wing Syriza party.
“Our target is one: for New Democracy to represent everyone in the country who opposes the populism of an incompetent government,” Mr. Mitsotakis said.

Mr. Mitsotakis faced the opposition of much of his party’s establishment, but gained support from primary voters who believe party should stand more clearly for economic overhauls.
New Democracy formed part of the Greek governments that carried out austerity measures under the country’s bailout program in 2012-14, but its commitment to free-market overhauls was unsteady. Mr. Mitsotakis, the minister tasked with reforming Greece’s sclerotic public administration during that time, was viewed as one of the most reform-minded cabinet members during that time.

Mr. Mitsotakis is expected to be an outspoken critic of the government, which comprises Syriza and its junior coalition partner, the right-wing Independent Greeks, WSJ adds.. The new opposition leader argues that freer markets are needed to lead the country to recovery. But he has also criticized the heavy austerity measures that lenders have imposed in exchange for bailout loans, which Greeks widely blame for deepening their country’s eight-year-long economic slump.

Mr. Mitsotakis has ruled out cooperating with the government, which has called on the opposition to support it as it enacts painful pension overhauls and tax hikes.
The win by Mr. Mitsotakis signals a deep desire for change among Greeks, analysts say.