Parliament sworn in amid party bittering

Greece's new parliament was sworn yesterday, 10 days after the conservatives were returned to power for a second four-year term with a much reduced majority, amid turbulence in the main opposition Socialist party.

The Conservatives under Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis took 152 seats in the 300-strong, single-chamber legislature after calling early elections for September 16, a drop of 13 seats from the previous parliament. Support for Socialist PASOK also declined, while two small leftist parties, Communists and the Left Coalition, gained seats. A fifth party, the right-wing populist LAOS, takes up seats for the first time.

The swearing-in ceremony was delayed by a televised meeting of PASOK parliamentary deputies, which broke up in acrimony. The party is embroiled in a leadership struggle following the party's worst electoral showing in 30 years.