Greek government seeks confidence vote to dampen snap polls talk

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's government said it would seek a confidence vote and move to elect a new president as scheduled next year, in an effort to squash growing speculation that the country is moving towards snap elections.

Jitters about Greece's future have sent Greek bond yields rising in recent days after Prime Minister Antonis Samaras announced Athens would try to exit its deeply unpopular EU/IMF bailout in 2015, a year ahead of schedule.

The confidence vote, which his coalition will seek when parliament reconvenes next week, is expected to allow Samaras to buy time ahead of the presidential ballot and present a cohesive front as the government negotiates with its EU/IMF lenders.

"The government is sending a very clear message that it is ending any talk of snap elections before a presidential vote," said Costas Panagopoulos of Alco pollsters.

Deputy Prime Minister Evangelos Venizelos, head of the PASOK junior partner in the government, told reporters the move was an attempt to ensure "political stability".

Samaras is hoping an early bailout exit will rally Greeks fed up with four years of austerity, but Athens faces a series of hurdles in pulling that off, including convincing EU/IMF lenders it can finance itself without problems.

His call for a swift exit was also seen as a gamble to woo lawmakers to back his candidate in the presidential vote and stoked speculation the government may be forced to call early elections that anti-bailout leftists would almost certainly win.

Under Greek law, parliament must be dissolved and new elections called if a president cannot be elected. The radical leftist Syriza, which is opening up a sizeable lead in opinion polls over Samaras's party and won EU elections in Greece this year, has pledged to block Samaras's presidential candidate.

Parliament is due to convene on Monday when the draft budget is also set to be presented, but the confidence vote is expected later that week. Samaras has the backing of 154 deputies from his conservative New Democracy party and Socialist coalition partner PASOK in the 300-seat parliament, and should win the vote without trouble.

Election of a new president would begin on Feb. 15 next year, the government said. The vote has been considered a likely trigger for new elections since Samaras does not currently have the backing of 180 lawmakers needed to push through his nominee.

(Writing by Deepa Babington; Editing by Crispian Balmer)