Greek opposition leader says no blank check for PM

ATHENS Nov 7 (Reuters) - A majority of Greeks rejected Prime Minister George Papandreou's austerity policies, opposition leader Antonis Samaras said after Papandreou claimed victory in regional elections on Sunday.

"The majority of those who voted condemned Mr Papandreou's policy and all those who abstained rejected his blackmail," said Samaras, the head of the conservative New Democracy party.

Official estimates show Papandreou's socialists winning 7 out of 13 regions, down from all 13 in national elections in 2009. There is no official estimate of the vote for both parties on an aggregate nationwide basis.

Both Papandreou and New Democracy had turned the local elections into a referendum on policies agreed to cut spending and increase taxes in return for an EU/IMF bailout.

(Reporting by Harry Papachristou; Writing by Ingrid Melander)