Alexis Tsipras

Nikos Androulakis, the socialist PASOK leader, has turned down the third exploratory mandate to form a government in a meeting with President Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

"I'm turning down the mandate I received, as there are no opportunities for government convergences on the basis of policy agreements," he said after the meeting.

SYRIZA's central committee will convene on Thursday following the main opposition's bruising performance in the general election.

A party announcement said the meeting at a central Athens hotel would begin with a speech by party leader Alexis Tsipras at 5 p.m.

Greek leftist leader Alexis Tsipras on Tuesday turned down a mandate to form a coalition government, saying he was preparing for a second election in June after what he called a "painful" electoral defeat for his SYRIZA party.

Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou will receive the leader of PASOK-Movement for Change Nikos Androulakis on Tuesday at 6.30 p.m. on Tuesday to present him with the third exploratory mandate to form a government, according to article 37 of the Greek Constitution.

Opposition SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras on Tuesday turned down the exploratory mandate to form a coalition government, admitting that his party's resounding defeat in Sunday's polls came as a "painful shock."

Greece's ruling party New Democracy achieved a huge victory in Sunday's election, managing to gain a double-digit lead over its main rival, the left-wing SYRIZA, which saw its support melt away. 

With New Democracy set to comfortably win an outright majority in the second election, which will probably take place on June 25, a relentless political battle has already begun for the dominance of the center-left of the political spectrum. 

SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance leader Alexis Tsipras said on Monday that he was not "giving up the fight" after his party's big defeat in Sunday's elections.

Kostas A. Karamanlis, who resigned as transport minister following the tragic train collision in Tempe in February, appears to be on track for re-election as an MP in Serres, northern Greece.

According to the latest data from the Interior Ministry, with the majority of votes counted, New Democracy is leading in Serres, a five-seat constituency, with just under 47 percent of the vote.

With a voter turnout of over 60 percent, the center-right "New Democracy" took nearly 41 percent of the Greek vote. With more than 20 more than its main opponent - SYRIZA, which is losing a lot of its voters.
The leader of the left party, Alexis Tsipras, has conceded defeat: