Greece: Syriza two seats short of absolute majority

Greece: Syriza two seats short of absolute majority

Based on 99.80 percent of the votes counted, Syriza has 8.5 percent more votes than the conservative New Democracy party of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, which has 27.81 percent of the vote and 76 seats, reported the Greek news agency ANA.

The far right Golden Dawn has won 6.28 percent of the vote and 17 seats, Potami 6.05 percent and 17 seats, and the Communist Party of Greece 5.47 percent and 15 seats.

The Party of Independent Greeks has 4.75 percent of votes and 13 seats in parliament as does PASOK.

Leftist leader Alexis Tsipras held coalition talks on Monday with the small Party of Independent Greeks and in under an hour agreed to form a parliamentary majority. Like Syriza, the party stands against agreements with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund on austerity measures, reported Reuters.

Tsipras said last night that Greece was turning a new leaf, leaving behind humiliations and catastrophic stringent austerity measures.

The people, he said, gave the new government a mandate for national revival and restoration of social cohesion.

Tsipras also said that Greece celebrates its victory over the "steel grip of the elite" and an anti-democratic movement, and "tomorrow continues with hard work."