UPDATE- Greek opposition leaders turn down mandate to form government

CHANGED HEADLINE, ADDED PASOK LEADER'S COMMENTS AFTER RETURNING THE MANDATE

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – After the prime minister handed back the mandate, Greece’s main opposition leaders turned down a mandate to form a government that was offered to them by the president, local media reported on Tuesday.

Saying there is “no possibility” of forming a government, SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras turned down the second exploratory mandate to form a government, according to the state-run AMNA news agency.

Speaking to reporters after a brief meeting with President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, he said: “I have no reason to hide that the election result was an unexpectedly painful shock for us.”

Tsipras, a former prime minister, added: “The results are also painful for the entire society, including those who voted for the ruling New Democracy party, which doesn’t respect the rule of law, democracy, or pluralism.”

Later in the day, leader of the social democratic PASOK party, the third biggest party, Nikos Androulakis also, as expected, returned the mandate immediately.

"I am returning the order I received," he said after his brief meeting with the president, according to AMNA.

With all the votes counted on Monday, the New Democracy party won 40.79% – twice the main opposition SYRIZA’s 20.07%. Socialist PASOK came in third at 11.46%, followed by Greek Communist Party with 7.23%. The far-right, populist Greek Solution party came in fifth with 4.45%.

On Monday Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis returned the mandate, saying he wanted fresh polls for his New Democracy to form a single-party government.