ATHENS (AP) -- Greece's conservative government won a vote of confidence early Monday, ending a three-day debate that started with the opposition Socialist Party calling for early elections.

Lawmakers voted 164-122 to back the government of Premier Costas Caramanlis.

Caramanlis said early elections "would not be for the benefit of the people, but to their detriment." He accused Socialist leader George Papandreou of seeking to use the censure motion to resolve divisions within Socialist ranks.

"We will continue our reforms in health, education and the economy, and nothing will stand in our way," Caramanlis said. "The elections will be held when they are due" in March 2008.

The Socialists called for early elections Friday, two days after withdrawing from a debate on revising Greece's constitution. They accused the government of pressuring conservative dissenters to back changes on an article concerning forest protection that appeared unlikely to receive approval.

Papandreou criticized the government's performance on the economy, education and foreign policy and accused it of corruption and incompetence.

The constitutional revision also has prompted protests from students and academics over plans to allow privately run universities after 2008.

Demonstrations in Athens and other major cities have become a near weekly occurrence.