Interior Minister Michelakis wants no exit polls in Sunday's elections

Interior Minister Yiannis Mihelakis on Tuesday suggested through his website that no exit polls should be held during Sunday's elections until an investigation is carried out into the causes that led to the great deviation between exit poll results and the final voting count in last Sunday's local government elections.

Commenting on twitter, he strongly criticized the polling companies because the exit poll results were leaked to the media while voting was still underway. Meanwhile, in a letter he addressed to the Association of Greek Market & Opinion Research Companies (SEDEA) on Monday, he underlined that an investigation should be carried out into the opinion polls held ahead of the elections.

Commenting on next Sunday's second round of local government elections, Michelakis said that his positions on incumbent Attica Regional Governor Yiannis Sgouros are known and were made publicly. He noted that the candidacy of George Koumoutsakos was the best of all and underlined that, in his opinion, Attica has missed a great opportunity.

Main opposition Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA), meanwhile, said that it will be relentless in its criticism of all those who attempt to exploit opinion poll problems politically or by creating impressions seeking to manipulate public opinion.

SYRIZA Opinion Poll Committee head Kostas Poulakis noted the scientific and credibility problems observed in the opinion polls and underlined that the polling companies will also be judged in next Sunday's elections, together with the political parties and the candidates running.