Athens: Greece's parliament on Saturday failed to elect a new president in the first round of voting. Parliament Speaker Konstantinos Tasoulas, nominated for the presidency by the ruling center-right New Democracy party (ND), received 160 votes, 40 less than needed for an outright win. According to Anadolu Agency, Louka Katseli, a 72-year-old economist and politician backed by the leftist SYRIZA and New Left Party, secured 40 votes, while Tasos Giannitsis, an 80-year-old veteran politician supported by the main opposition party PASOK, garnered 34 votes. Kostas Kyriakou of the far-right Niki party received 14 votes. A second round of voting is scheduled for next Friday, where the winner will again need to secure the backing of 200 lawmakers to be elected. In Greece, the prime minister is the country's leading political figure, while the president holds lesser powers and serves a ceremonial role.