• Thursday, 04 July 2024

Greeks vote for a new parliament

Greeks vote for a new parliament

Athens, 25 June 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Some 9.8 million Greek voters are heading to the polls on Sunday to elect a new parliament.

 

Polls suggest a clear win for the conservative Nea Dimokratia (ND), led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, with some saying the party could take more than 40% of the vote.

 

The second strongest party could be the left-wing Alliance of the Radical Left (Syriza), led by Alexis Tsipras, which polls suggest may gain around 20%.

 

In all, some 32 parties are standing for election.

 

Polling stations open at 7 am (0400 GMT) and close at 7 pm. Initial forecasts are expected shortly afterwards, based on exit polls.

 

A clearer picture based on ballots counted should be available by 8 pm.

 

The formation of a government under Mitsotakis seen as almost certain under Greece's electoral system, in which the strongest party receives a bonus of at least 20 seats in the 300-seat parliament.

 

Greece has some 11 million inhabitants, but the number of eligible voters also includes the many Greeks who live abroad.

 

Photo: MIA