[HOSTED.AP.ORG] A radical left-wing party vowing to end Greece's painful austerity program won a historic victory in Sunday's parliamentary elections, setting the stage for a showdown with the country's international creditors that could shake the eurozone.
Alexis Tsipras, leader of the communist-rooted Syriza party, immediately promised to end the "five years of humiliation and pain" that Greece has endured since an international bailout saved it from bankruptcy in 2010.
With 80 percent of polling stations counted, Syriza had 36 percent versus 28 percent for Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' conservatives.
It remained to be seen whether Syriza had enough seats to govern outright or would have to seek support from other parties. That might not become clear until Monday morning or even later, when all the votes are counted.
If Tsipras, 40, can put together a government, he will be Greece's youngest prime minister in 150 years. |