Off the wire
• New Libyan political dialogue to resume  • Roundup: Egypt's revolution anniversary turns bloody as 16 killed in clashes  • EU FMs to discuss Ukraine crisis Thursday: Mogherini  • Roundup: Egypt King Tut's beard "randomly" glued back on: experts  • UN envoy concerned over attack against Lebanese army  • Flood victims receive aid in central Mozambique  • Scores of Boko Haram militants killed in Nigeria  • 1st LD Writethru: Greek anti-austerity radical left SYRIZA leads in general elections: exit poll  • 1st LD Writethru: DR Congo parliament OKs new electoral law  • Iran urges expansion of ties with Saudi Arabia  
You are here: 　 Home

2nd LD Writethru: Anti-bailout Radical Leftists head for historic victory in Greek national polls

Xinhua, January 26, 2015 Adjust font size:

Anti-bailout Radical Left SYRIZA party was heading for a historic victory in Greece's crucial national polls on Sunday, according to the first official estimate based on partial results.

SYRIZA was expected to win 36.5 percent of votes over 27.7 percent for the conservative outgoing New Democracy (ND) party, polling firm Singular Logic announced after analyzing the early official results released by the Interior Ministry with about 20 percent of votes counted.

If estimates will be reaffirmed by the final results and SYRIZA forms a government, it will be the first time in Greece's modern history that a Left party governs after WWII.

The elections which had turned into a referendum on economic policies implemented since the start of the debt crisis in 2010, will decide the debt-laden country's course and membership in the euro zone, political analysts stressed.

SYRIZA's pre-election promises to hold tough renegotiations with international lenders over the post-bailout ties and the sustainability of Greece's sovereign debt, have revived concern over a potential rift with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund creditors, a Greek bankruptcy and exit from the euro zone.

It was yet unclear whether the Radical Left party would secure enough seats to rule the country on its own. Pollsters expected a clear picture after midnight, while Interior Ministry representatives said that the outright majority could be decided up to the final vote.

An exit poll broadcast upon the closing of the ballot earlier on Sunday had given the frontrunners 35.5-39.5 percent over 23-27 percent for ND. The parties had received 27 percent and 29 percent respectively in the 2012 legislative polls.

Pollsters noted that based on the results so far SYRIZA could secure 146-158 seats in the 300-member strong new assembly. Singular Logic estimated for the Interior Ministry that SYRIZA could get 149-151 seats.

"People voted with wisdom," SYRIZA party spokesman Panos Skourletis said in a first comment in Greek media, as supporters were celebrating in the streets of central Athens.

SYRIZA party members noted that the outcome was a clear message to Europe that Greek people opposed austerity, setting the stage for other anti-austerity movements across the continent.

Around SYRIZA's main election kiosk on Klafthmonos square among Greek voters were also Leftists from Germany, France, Italy, Spain and other countries. "This is the time of the Left" banners read.

Beyond SYRIZA's victory, politicians, pollsters and analysts were paying attention also to the neck-and-neck battle for the third place.

The new moderate centrist River (Potami) party which was said to be the most likely partner for SYRIZA in case absolute majority is not reached, was vying for the third place against the ultra-Right Golden Dawn (Chryssi Avgi) party.

The first official estimate based on the results of the Interior Ministry gave GD a marginal lead with 6.3 percent of votes over 5.9 percent for the River. Exit polls had given both parties 6.4-8 percent of votes.

The far-Right Golden Dawn party had won seven percent of votes in the 2012 elections, capitalizing on voters' frustration with austerity implemented to stave off bankruptcy. Despite a judicial crackdown launched against it in 2013 it seemed to be holding ground.

A total of seven parties will enter the next parliament, according to Singular Logic's early official estimate.

The anti-bailout Greek Communist party KKE received 5.6 percent of the vote, according to the estimate, while the socialist PASOK party which co-ruled with ND followed with 4.8 percent of the vote.

The nationalistic Independent Greeks garnered 4.7 percent of votes, while the Democrat Socialists' Movement launched three weeks ago by socialist former Premier George Papandreou (2009-2011) would most likely miss the three percent threshold needed to enter the parliament, under the Greek Constitution, garnering 2.5 percent of votes, according to the first official estimate. Enditem