ATHENS: Greek leftist leader Alexis Tsipras on Tuesday turned down a mandate to form a coalition government, saying he was preparing for a second election in June after what he called a “painful” electoral defeat for his Syriza party.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, whose New Democracy party won 40.8% of the vote on Sunday compared with Syriza’s 20.1%, had earlier opted against forming a coalition and has pushed for a second vote in a bid for an outright majority.
Tsipras told President Katerina Sakellaropoulou that he could not form a coalition, after many voters turned away from Syriza’s radical, anti-establishment style that had swept it to power during the turbulent years of the Greek debt crisis. –Agencies
