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1st LD Writethru: Radical Left SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras sworn in as Greek Prime Minister

Xinhua, January 26, 2015 Adjust font size:

Anti-bailout Radical Left SYRIZA party leader Alexis Tsipras was sworn in on Monday as Greece's new Prime Minister to head a coalition government after winning Sunday's national elections.

The 40-year old SYRIZA chief visited President of the Hellenic Republic Karolos Papoulias and formally informed him that he has secured parliamentary majority after striking an agreement to form a ruling coalition with the Right- wing Independent Greeks (ANEL) party.

Jointly SYRIZA and ANEL will hold 162 seats in the next 300-member strong assembly.

SYRIZA won 36.3 percent of the votes against 27.8 percent for the conservative New Democracy (ND) party of former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.

Falling marginally short of the needed threshold for clear parliamentary majority, SYRIZA secured 149 seats in the 300-member strong parliament. ANEL won 4.7 percent of votes and 13 seats.

During a meeting with Papoulias broadcast live on the Greek national broadcaster NERIT prior to the swearing-in ceremony Tsipras implied that he could secure the support of another party.

Later on Monday evening he was scheduled to hold talks with Stravros Theodorakis, leader of the centrist Potami (River) party which won 6 percent and 17 seats in the parliament.

Political analysts in Athens said that the River party was unlikely to join in the ruling coalition, as Theodorakis has rejected an alliance with ANEL over diverging views on several issues.

"I hope that this majority of 162 legislators could increase during the confidence vote in the parliament," he told Papoulias, adding that he preferred to speed up the proceedings "because we are facing an uphill road ahead."

Papoulias wished him best success giving him the mandate to form government before Tsipras was sworn in to "abide by the Constitution and the Laws and serve Greek peoples' interests."

SYRIZA's leader did not take the traditional religious oath his predecessors have taken in the past breaking a decades old tradition in the Greek state in a sign that some changes have started in the country.

The SYRIZA- led ruling coalition will be the first Left- led government in Greece after WWII.

SYRIZA's rhetoric over a harsher stance in negotiations with international lenders over post- bailout collaboration has caused some concern among markets and euro zone officials.

In his first statements as a winner of the elections on Sunday night he assured there would be no confrontation and risk of a Greek default and exit from the euro zone, but a mutual beneficial agreement on the management of the Greek debt load.

The announcement of the list of ministers and their swearing-in ceremony could follow on Tuesday or Wednesday, according to the latest information. Enditem