Greek parliament failed on Wednesday to elect a new President of the Hellenic Republic in the televised first round of the roll-call vote on Wednesday evening, as political parties and analysts expected.

The two-ruling government coalition's presidential candidate Stavros Dimas, a former EU Commissioner of Environment, garnered 160 votes in the 300-seat plenum with 295 legislators taking part in the procedure.

A total of 135 deputies who did not vote for Dimas opted for "present," since there is no option of a "no" in presidential elections, according to the Constitution and parliament's rules.

Presidential candidates have to collect at least 200 votes in the first round to be elected.

Party officials and political analysts in Athens had estimated that the conservative-led coalition which controls 155 seats in the assembly would win over just a few independent MPs and lawmakers from opposition parties in the first test.

The process for the election of the next president which opened on Wednesday with no debate prior to the voting continues on Dec. 23 with the second round. The threshold remains the same in the second round and drops to a minimum 180 seats in the third, final and most critical round set for Dec. 29.

In case of failure, the government resigns within 10 days and the country is led to early general elections in a month.

Ahead of Wednesday's vote Prime Minister Antonis Samaras in a statement called on lawmakers to make a decision to avoid a "political adventure that could be fatal for the country's European course."

On his part Dimas added that his goal is to "contribute to the unity of the Greek people so that the country exits the crisis." He expressed optimism that MPs will "weigh the national interest, beyond partisan entrenchments."