Tuesday, May 8, 2012

The leader of the left-wing party that finished second in Sunday's Greek elections says the country's commitment to austerity is no longer valid.

The head of the Radical Left Coalition is calling on Greece's two main party leaders to withdraw their support for the international bailout that is keeping Greece afloat. He says the voters have rejected the austerity measures the government agreed to implement in order to get the bailout.

And he says the pro-bailout parties no longer have a majority in parliament to support what he calls "destructive measures for the Greek people."

No party won enough votes Sunday to form a government alone.

The Radical Left Coalition won a surprising 16.8 percent of the vote and 52 seats in the 300-member parliament. Its leader is now trying to put together a coalition government, something the conservative New Democracy party that won the most seats was unable to accomplish yesterday.

The political turmoil is casting doubt on the country's financial future. Greece had been expected to pass billions in new austerity measures in the next month in order to get its next batch of bailout money.