SYRIZA’s Zahariadis seeks meeting with PASOK-backed Doukas ahead of runoff in Athens

Costas Zahariadis, the SYRIZA candidate for the Athens mayoral race, who came in third place in the first-round election held on Sunday, has requested a meeting with the runner-up, Haris Doukas, in preparation for the upcoming runoff election next Sunday.

Doukas, backed by PASOK, will go head-to-head with the incumbent, Kostas Bakoyannis, who claimed the first position with 41.35 percent of the vote. The threshold for direct election in the first round was set at 43 percent.

“I spoke with my friend Haris Doukas today, requesting a meeting tomorrow (Monday) morning to discuss the administration of a progressive Athens,” Zahariadis said late on Sunday.

He called upon other left-leaning candidates to make their stance clear before the runoff, emphasizing “the significance of defeating the conservative administration in Athens.”

In the first round, Zahariadis received 13.36 percent of the vote, while Doukas garnered 14.2 percent. To secure victory in the second round, candidates must attain slightly over 50 percent of the vote.