Athens elects first woman mayor

Athens' voters on Sunday chose their first woman mayor, a former culture minister who has promised to showcase the city's ancient heritage for the 2004 Olympics.

Dora Bakoyianni was among the conservatives making impressive gains in municipal elections they presented as a referendum against the ruling Socialists, who have been in power 18 of the past 21 years.

Bakoyianni of the New Democracy party won 61 percent of the vote in Athens, with more than three-quarters of ballots counted. Her Socialist opponent, former maritime minister Christos Papoutsis, conceded.

"We won in the capital of Greece," a jubilant Bakoyianni said as supporters showered her with rose petals at a rally in downtown Athens. "The percentage is fantastic."

A former culture minister, the 48-year-old Bakoyianni has pledged to highlight Athens' ancient heritage for the 2004 Olympics.

Voting is compulsory in Greece, which has a population of 11 million. To boost female participation, at least one-third of candidates for mayoral and regional assemblies had to be women.

Sunday's poll was a runoff after hundreds of candidates failed to win outright in a first round held on Oct. 13. More than 1,000 mayors and 52 regional governors were elected in the two rounds.

New Democracy scored resounding victories in Greece's two other biggest cities, the ports of Piraeus and Thessaloniki.

With more than 60 percent of votes counted countrywide, they were also set to win 32 races for regional governor, compared to 20 for the Socialists.

"The results confirm that New Democracy is the strongest power in the country," New Democracy leader Costas Caramanlis said.

The Socialists won one important race. Government-backed Fofi Yennimata looked to garner about 53 percent of the vote for regional governor of greater Athens - an area representing more than 2 million people.

New Democracy's campaign focused on rising inflation and low living standards facing many Greeks.

Premier Costas Simitis acknowledged his party did not fare well, but said voters had rejected the conservative call. "There are no winners or losers," he said.