Athens : Greece’s outgoing leftwing prime minister Alexis Tsipras declared he was confident of winning a second mandate for a ‘fighting government’ to reform and revive the crisis-hit nation’s economy, as voters cast ballots in a knife-edge race.
With voting underway under sunny skies in a tight race between Tsipras’ Syriza party and the conservatives, the boyish leftwinger said: “The Greek people… will take their future into their own hands… and seal the transition to a new era.” After a tumultuous seven months in office, Tsipras resigned in August and called snap elections. The 41-year-old, who cast his ballot in the Athens working-class district of Kypseli, faces a strong challenge from the conservative New Democracy party led by ex-defence minister Vangeli Meimarakis, with eve-of-election polls giving Tsipras a slight edge. Greek voters will elect “a fighting government” ready for the “confrontations necessary to move forward with reforms”, said Tsipras, who in July agreed more punishing austerity for the nation in exchange for its third financial rescue in five years.
Over eight hours into the vote, the turnout seemed lower than the last election, AFP reporters said.
