Almost half of Greek voters oppose austerity deal

Almost half of Greek voters want parliament to reject a package of harsh economic reforms that the government has agreed in return for a second international bailout to avoid default, according to an opinion poll. The poll, in Sunday's edition of To Vima newspaper, showed they also wanted Greece to hold early elections to replace the embattled government of Prime Minister George Papandreou.
The survey was taken before Papandreou reshuffled his government on Friday in an attempt to stiffen resolve to hammer through the reforms. The European Union and International Monetary Fund have made the reforms a condition for a new emergency loan package worth an estimated 120 billion euros ($170 billion) that Greece will need to avood bankruptcy and fund itself through 2014.
In a nation-wide survey of 1,208 voters, 47.5 percent of respondents said they wanted parliament to reject the reform package and for Greece to hold early elections. Just over a third - 34.8 percent - wanted it to be approved so Athens could receive a new loan tranche and secure the second bailout. Eurozone finance ministers are expected to agree on Sunday to release a 12 billion euro tranche of an existing, year-old bailout loan that Greece needs to pay back debt maturing in July and August.