(VOVworld) –  Greece’s prime minister, Antonis Samaras, failed to capture the support needed to elect a new president in a second round of voting on Tuesday and now needs a further 12 votes in the final round next week to avert a snap general election.

Greece's prime minister, Antonis Samaras, during the second of three rounds of a presidential vote at the Greek parliament in Athens (Photo:Reuters)

Samaras’s nominee, Stavros Dimas, the only candidate in the race, did not succeed in the second round, and gaining 168 votes was broadly in line with expectations. But it leaves the result up to the decisive third round on December 29, when Samaras will need 180 votes. If the third round of voting fails, Greece will have to hold an early election and this will be Greece’s second general election within 2 years.