Left-wing Syriza gets big win in Greek elections
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Anti-austerity party becomes victorious in Sunday's general election with over 35 percent of votes; leader Tsipras to hold coalition talks with like-minded ANEL on Monday.
Left-wing Syriza party has won Greek parliamentary elections with just over 35 percent of the votes, official results suggest.
With 90 percent of votes counted, official results put Syriza's vote at 36.32 percent, giving the party approximately 149 seats in the parliament, just short of 151 needed to form a one-party government.
This success marks a historic victory for the left wing party.
Syrizas leader Alexis Tsipras will on Monday meet Panos Kammenos, leader of right-wing anti-austerity ANEL party -- Independent Greeks -- which looks set to get 13 seats in the parliament, for possible coalition talks.
The New Democracy party of outgoing Prime Minister Antonis Samaras comes at a distant second with 27.86 percent with 76 seats, while extreme right-wing Golden Dawn has received 6.31 percent giving them 17 seats in the parliament.
Tsipras said Sunday: "Greece leaves behind the austerity of destruction.
"Hope has written history and Greece is turning the page.
Our people have taken a step forward in history. From tomorrow we begin hard work. The people's verdict cancels the memorandums of austerity and destruction, makes the Troika a thing of the past."
Tsipras has promised to form an anti-bailout government which will end the Troika's -- the EU, European Central Bank and the IMF -- aid to Greece in addition to wiping out a big part of the national debt.
The party leader also said that Syriza was committed to locating the one percent involved in tax evasion.
He also outlined his plan is to reverse the social and economic dislocation to lead to economic recovery and exit the crisis.
Prime Minister Samaras said after Tsipras victory: The Greek people have spoken and we all respect [its] decision.
We have endured, we prevented the worst, restored the credibility of the country and we put the foundations for the return to growth, Samaras said.
I deliver a country today without a deficit, which emerges from recession, a country which is a member of the EU and of the Euro.
I hope the next government will maintain these achievements.
Meanwhile, the jailed leader of Golden Dawn, Nikolaos Michaloliakos has hailed the result and called it great victory of the nationalist movement.
European leaders' and markets' eyes are now on what the victory of Syriza may generate as a potential political uncertainty can put the country back at risk after it began to pick up after a disastrous financial crisis.
A clash with the Troika which could possibly start a new crisis between the nation and its creditors, although Syriza has stated that it wants to keep the euro.
Anadolu Agency
With 90 percent of votes counted, official results put Syriza's vote at 36.32 percent, giving the party approximately 149 seats in the parliament, just short of 151 needed to form a one-party government.
This success marks a historic victory for the left wing party.
Syrizas leader Alexis Tsipras will on Monday meet Panos Kammenos, leader of right-wing anti-austerity ANEL party -- Independent Greeks -- which looks set to get 13 seats in the parliament, for possible coalition talks.
The New Democracy party of outgoing Prime Minister Antonis Samaras comes at a distant second with 27.86 percent with 76 seats, while extreme right-wing Golden Dawn has received 6.31 percent giving them 17 seats in the parliament.
Tsipras said Sunday: "Greece leaves behind the austerity of destruction.
"Hope has written history and Greece is turning the page.
Our people have taken a step forward in history. From tomorrow we begin hard work. The people's verdict cancels the memorandums of austerity and destruction, makes the Troika a thing of the past."
Tsipras has promised to form an anti-bailout government which will end the Troika's -- the EU, European Central Bank and the IMF -- aid to Greece in addition to wiping out a big part of the national debt.
The party leader also said that Syriza was committed to locating the one percent involved in tax evasion.
He also outlined his plan is to reverse the social and economic dislocation to lead to economic recovery and exit the crisis.
Prime Minister Samaras said after Tsipras victory: The Greek people have spoken and we all respect [its] decision.
We have endured, we prevented the worst, restored the credibility of the country and we put the foundations for the return to growth, Samaras said.
I deliver a country today without a deficit, which emerges from recession, a country which is a member of the EU and of the Euro.
I hope the next government will maintain these achievements.
Meanwhile, the jailed leader of Golden Dawn, Nikolaos Michaloliakos has hailed the result and called it great victory of the nationalist movement.
European leaders' and markets' eyes are now on what the victory of Syriza may generate as a potential political uncertainty can put the country back at risk after it began to pick up after a disastrous financial crisis.
A clash with the Troika which could possibly start a new crisis between the nation and its creditors, although Syriza has stated that it wants to keep the euro.
Anadolu Agency
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