As poling sections closed at 7 pm in Greece Sunday, the first exit polls confirm earlier predictions the opposition Socialists will be the winners of the parliamentary elections.

The exit polls show the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) of George Papandreou with 41% to 46% of the vote, which as 6% lead over the ruling New Democracy party of Prime Minister, Costas Karamanlis, with 34% to 37% of the vote.

If the first results prove to be true, PASOK scores a significant victory and will have more than 151 seats from the 300 total in Greece’s future parliament, something that will allow the Socialists to form their own cabinet. 40 seats are automatically awarded to the leading party and the remaining 260 are divided by proportional representation.

The PASOK majority will, however, be definitely confirmed early Monday morning.

More precise results will be known at 10 pm Sunday when 20% of the polling sections in the country will report them via short text messages (sms). The use of sms is a first in Greece and includes 20% of the election polls.

Karamanlis was only half way into his four-year term when he called the election in early September basing it on the motif he wanted a new mandate to tackle Greece's economic problems.

The government has been hit by a series of corruption scandals and Karamanlis' opponents say he has failed to fulfill promises to clean up public office and to modernize the country.

Papandreou is promising to build a green economy and bring in foreign experts to help Greece overcome its problems.

Greece has also been shaken by social unrest since police shot a teenager dead last December, triggering the country's worst riots in decades.

A leftist group called The Fire Conspiracy Cells claimed responsibility for a small bomb which exploded near Karamanlis' last election rally Friday. There were no injuries and only minor damage.

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