Greek leftists triumph in election

Leader of Syriza party vows end to bailout ‘humiliation’

Leader of Syriza left-wing party Alexis Tsipras speaks to his supporters outside Athens University Headquarters, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015. A triumphant Alexis Tsipras told Greeks that his radical left Syriza party's win in Sunday's early general election meant an end to austerity and humiliation and that the country's regular and often fraught debt inspections were a thing of the past. "Today the Greek people have made history. Hope has made history," Tsipras said in his victory speech at a conference hall in central Athens. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Leader of Syriza left-wing party Alexis Tsipras speaks to his supporters outside Athens University Headquarters, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015. A triumphant Alexis Tsipras told Greeks that his radical left Syriza party's win in Sunday's early general election meant an end to austerity and humiliation and that the country's regular and often fraught debt inspections were a thing of the past. "Today the Greek people have made history. Hope has made history," Tsipras said in his victory speech at a conference hall in central Athens. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

ATHENS, Greece -- A triumphant Alexis Tsipras told Greeks that his left Syriza party's win in Sunday's early general election meant an end to austerity and humiliation and that the country's regular and often tense debt inspections were a thing of the past.

"Today the Greek people have made history. Hope has made history," Tsipras said in his victory speech at a conference hall in central Athens.

Official results with 80 percent of polling stations counted showed Syriza with 36 percent, far ahead of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' conservatives, who had 28 percent.

But it was still unclear whether Syriza would have the minimum 151 of parliament's 300 seats needed to form a government without support from other parties. Greek election officials said that would likely only become clear once all votes were counted -- something expected by early today at the earliest.

Whatever the case, all eyes will be on the opening of world financial markets after Syriza beat Samaras' incumbent conservatives.

"The sovereign Greek people today have given a clear, strong, indisputable mandate. Greece has turned a page. Greece is leaving behind the destructive austerity, fear and authoritarianism. It is leaving behind five years of humiliation and pain," Tsipras said to a crowd of rapturous flag-waving party supporters.

If the communist-rooted party fails to win at least 151 seats, it will have to find a coalition partner, or secure pledges of support that would allow it to form a minority government.

Samaras conceded defeat, saying he had received a country "on the brink of disaster" when he took over in 2012 and was close to ushering it out of the crisis.

"I was asked to hold live coals in my hands, and I did," he said. "Most gave us no prospect of lasting out and we did. We got the country out of deficits and recession ... and set the foundations for growth and a final exit from the crisis."

The 40-year-old Tsipras campaigned on promises of renegotiating the terms for Greece's $270 billion bailout, which has kept the debt-ridden country afloat since mid-2010.

To qualify for the cash, Greece has had to impose deep and bitterly resented public spending, salary and pension cuts and repeated tax hikes. Its progress in changes is reviewed by debt inspectors from the International Monetary Fund, European Commission and European Central Bank, collectively known as the "troika," before each installment of bailout funds can be disbursed.

"The verdict of the Greek people ends, beyond any doubt, the vicious circle of austerity in our country," Tsipras said. "The verdict of the Greek people, your verdict, annuls today in an indisputable fashion the bailout agreements of austerity and disaster. The verdict of the Greek people renders the troika a thing of the past for our common European framework."

Greece's creditors insist the country must abide by previous commitments to continue receiving support, and investors and markets alike have been spooked by the anti-bailout rhetoric. Greece could face bankruptcy if a solution is not found, although speculation of a "Grexit" -- Greece leaving the euro -- and a potential collapse of the currency has been far less of a concern than during the last general election in 2012.

The centrist Potami (River) party was battling for third place with Golden Dawn. Early official returns showed Golden Dawn slightly ahead with 6.4 percent, compared with Potami's 5.9 percent.

A Syriza government will see Tsipras becoming Greece's youngest prime minister in 150 years.

Belgium's finance minister said he sees some room to discuss the "modalities" of the Greek debt program with the other eurozone nations after Sunday's election victory by the Syriza party.

On the eve of a eurozone finance ministers' meeting, Johan Van Overtveldt said that "we can talk modalities, we can talk debt restructuring, but the cornerstone that Greece must respect the rules of monetary union -- that must stay as it is."

He told VRT network that even if some things could be changed to accommodate the demands of Syriza, "it is impossible to fundamentally change things."

In Germany, the opposition Left Party has welcomed the Greek result, calling it a "sign of hope for a new start in Europe."

Left Party co-chairmen Katja Kipping and Bernd Riexinger said in a statement that the result was a blow to the policies dictated to Greece by the "troika" of creditors and the German government.

"The Greek election isn't just a chance departure for Greece, but for the whole of Europe. It provides an opportunity for a democratic awakening and a fundamental change of direction in the European Union," the statement said.

Information for this article was contributed by staff members of The Associated Press.

A Section on 01/26/2015

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