By Abdelwaheb El-Gueyed
VIENNA, Oct 10 (KUNA) -- Up to 1.1 million Austrians, out of 1.3 eligible for voting, are expected to cast their ballots in the Vienna State elections scheduled on Sunday to choose members for a local parliament and government. The polls are to be held amid concerns regarding political destiny of the ruling coalition grouping the Socialist and Peoples' parties.
File of the immigrants is expected to dominate the electoral campaign, as the nation is hosting a large number of refugees amid poor capacities to offer them accommodation and basic services.
Vienna Governor Michael Haupl, a Socialism advocate, is pitted in a heated contest against Heinz-Christian Strache, chief of the opposition Liberals' camp. The Socialists are seeking to maintain the power reins in Vienna which they have held since the 70s.
The right-wing Liberals have hit hard at the government over the refugee crisis calling on it to send the immigrants back home as soon as possible and prevent others from entering the country.
Polls speculate that the Liberals may win 35 percent of the votes, as compared to 33-38 percent for the Socialists and 10 percent for the Peoples' Party. The Greens are forecast to garner only 12 percent of the votes.
Elections in Upper Austrian State held last week were distinguished with record high results by the right-wing Liberals, notorious for their enmity against foreigners in general and the Muslims in particular. But the conservative Peoples' Party emerged the top winner in the polling, with 36.3 percent of the votes.
The Peoples' Party has governed the upper state for a long time.
Observers believe the influx of the refugees, namely the Syrians, into the country, has helped the extremist Liberals enhance their popularity and attract more votes in the elections. (end) amq.rk