Tsipras wins Greek elections to reclaim Prime Minister post

Earlier, Tsipras’ chief rival, conservative New Democracy Party leader Vangelis Meimarakis, congratulated the victor and urged quick formation of a new government that Tsipras said will include the nationalist Independent Greeks Party.

Jubilant supporters of Alexis Tsipras’ left-wing Syriza Party cheered, waved party flags and danced Sunday after the party comfortably won Greece’s third national vote this year despite a rebellion within his party over his acceptance of a painful third global bailout.

New Democracy, which had lost its majority in the January election, won just over 28% in this ballot battle.

Addressing a rally in central Athens, Tsipras said he felt “vindicated” as Greeks had given him a mandate to “keep fighting inside and outside the country”. Syriza is expected to end the count with around 35% of the vote, which will translate to around 144 seats in parliament-just short of a true majority.

European Parliament President Martin Schulz also congratulated Tsipras on his party’s victory.

However, the decision led to a split within Syriza, with rebels breaking off to form the new Popular Unity party, which advocates withdrawal from the Eurozone and failed to win any parliamentary seats in Sunday’s election.

Tsipras was voted into office in January promising to halt austerity measures imposed by Europe, which most Greeks blame for worsening one of the deepest depressions of any industrialised country in modern times.

The Independent Greeks, Tsipras’ partners in the coalition, get 3.69 percent of the vote and 10 seats.

The firebrand leftist fought hard for Greece to be let off harsh austerity rules imposed by worldwide creditors, only to back down last month after Greece’s banks were shut and the country was pushed to the wall.

Syriza abandoned its anti-bailout platform and billed its re-election as a blow to crony politics from more established parties, refusing to consider joining the conservatives in a grand coalition.

The new government will also need to tackle the ongoing migration crisis, as hundreds of refugees continue to arrive on Greece’s eastern islands after travelling on overcrowded inflatable dinghies.

“We will continue, with Panos Kammenos, under the banner of honesty”, said Tsipras, who may return as prime minister of Greece as soon as Monday.