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| Greece crisis: PM Alexis Tsipras quits and calls early polls | Greece crisis: PM Alexis Tsipras quits and calls early polls |
| (about 14 hours later) | |
| Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has announced he is resigning and has called an early election. | Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has announced he is resigning and has called an early election. |
| Mr Tsipras, who was only elected in January, said he had a moral duty to go to the polls now a third bailout had been secured with European creditors. | Mr Tsipras, who was only elected in January, said he had a moral duty to go to the polls now a third bailout had been secured with European creditors. |
| The election date is yet to be set but earlier reports suggested 20 September. | The election date is yet to be set but earlier reports suggested 20 September. |
| Mr Tsipras will lead his leftist Syriza party into the polls, but he has faced a rebellion by some members angry at the bailout's austerity measures. | Mr Tsipras will lead his leftist Syriza party into the polls, but he has faced a rebellion by some members angry at the bailout's austerity measures. |
| He had to agree to painful state sector cuts, including far-reaching pension reforms, in exchange for the bailout - and keeping Greece in the eurozone. | He had to agree to painful state sector cuts, including far-reaching pension reforms, in exchange for the bailout - and keeping Greece in the eurozone. |
| Greece received the first €13bn ($14.5bn) tranche of the bailout on Thursday after it was approved by relevant European parliaments. | Greece received the first €13bn ($14.5bn) tranche of the bailout on Thursday after it was approved by relevant European parliaments. |
| It allowed Greece to repay a €3.2bn debt to the European Central Bank and avoid a messy default. | It allowed Greece to repay a €3.2bn debt to the European Central Bank and avoid a messy default. |
| The overall bailout package is worth about €86bn over three years. | The overall bailout package is worth about €86bn over three years. |
| Lost majority | Lost majority |
| Alexis Tsipras made the announcement in a televised state address on Thursday. | Alexis Tsipras made the announcement in a televised state address on Thursday. |
| "The political mandate of the 25 January elections has exhausted its limits and now the Greek people have to have their say," he said. | "The political mandate of the 25 January elections has exhausted its limits and now the Greek people have to have their say," he said. |
| "I want to be honest with you. We did not achieve the agreement we expected before the January elections." | "I want to be honest with you. We did not achieve the agreement we expected before the January elections." |
| Mr Tsipras said he would seek the Greek people's approval to continue his government's programme. | Mr Tsipras said he would seek the Greek people's approval to continue his government's programme. |
| Analysis: Chris Buckler, BBC News, Athens | Analysis: Chris Buckler, BBC News, Athens |
| In January, Alexis Tsipras went to the polls in Greece as a man who would stand against austerity. What a difference seven months make. Now he is calling elections to ask the Greek public to support the way he is trying to lead this country out of its financial crisis. | |
| That means spending cuts, tax rises and, of course, that third bailout that's already been agreed. All of that is opposed by a sizeable number of hard-left MPs within his own party, Syriza. | That means spending cuts, tax rises and, of course, that third bailout that's already been agreed. All of that is opposed by a sizeable number of hard-left MPs within his own party, Syriza. |
| Mr Tsipras will argue this election is about bringing certainty to Greece's future. In the short-term at least, though, it will create political uncertainty. And that's becoming a pretty familiar feeling here in Athens. | Mr Tsipras will argue this election is about bringing certainty to Greece's future. In the short-term at least, though, it will create political uncertainty. And that's becoming a pretty familiar feeling here in Athens. |
| Mr Tsipras said Greeks would have to decide whether he had represented them courageously with the creditors. | Mr Tsipras said Greeks would have to decide whether he had represented them courageously with the creditors. |
| He met President Prokopis Pavlopoulos later in the evening to submit his resignation, Reuters reported, telling him: "The present parliament cannot offer a government of majority or a national unity government." | He met President Prokopis Pavlopoulos later in the evening to submit his resignation, Reuters reported, telling him: "The present parliament cannot offer a government of majority or a national unity government." |
| Greece will be run by a caretaker government ahead of the polls. | Greece will be run by a caretaker government ahead of the polls. |
| If a government resigns within a year of election, the constitution requires the president to ask the second-largest party - in this case the conservative New Democracy - to try to form an administration. | If a government resigns within a year of election, the constitution requires the president to ask the second-largest party - in this case the conservative New Democracy - to try to form an administration. |
| If this fails, the next largest party must be given a chance. | If this fails, the next largest party must be given a chance. |
| Analysts say both parties can waive this and allow the president to approve the snap election. | Analysts say both parties can waive this and allow the president to approve the snap election. |
| However, New Democracy leader Vangelis Meimarakis said it was his "political obligation and responsibility to exhaust all the options", even though the numbers suggest he has little chance. | However, New Democracy leader Vangelis Meimarakis said it was his "political obligation and responsibility to exhaust all the options", even though the numbers suggest he has little chance. |
| Capital controls | Capital controls |
| Reacting to the news, Martin Selmayr, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's chief-of-staff, tweeted that "swift elections in Greece can be a way to broaden support" for the bailout deal. | Reacting to the news, Martin Selmayr, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's chief-of-staff, tweeted that "swift elections in Greece can be a way to broaden support" for the bailout deal. |
| Chair of the eurozone finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, said he hoped the resignation would not affect the bailout conditions. | Chair of the eurozone finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, said he hoped the resignation would not affect the bailout conditions. |
| "It is crucial that Greece maintains its commitments to the eurozone," he said. | "It is crucial that Greece maintains its commitments to the eurozone," he said. |
| Some 43 of Syriza's 149 MPs had either opposed the bailout or abstained in last Friday's Greek parliamentary vote that approved the deal. | Some 43 of Syriza's 149 MPs had either opposed the bailout or abstained in last Friday's Greek parliamentary vote that approved the deal. |
| The rebellion meant Mr Tsipras had effectively lost his parliamentary majority. | The rebellion meant Mr Tsipras had effectively lost his parliamentary majority. |
| Mr Tsipras had won power on a manifesto of opposing the stringent austerity conditions that he has now accepted. | Mr Tsipras had won power on a manifesto of opposing the stringent austerity conditions that he has now accepted. |
| He said he was forced to do so because a majority of Greeks wanted to stay in the eurozone, and this could not be achieved in any other way. | He said he was forced to do so because a majority of Greeks wanted to stay in the eurozone, and this could not be achieved in any other way. |
| Greece remains under strict capital controls, with weekly limits on cash withdrawals for Greek citizens. | Greece remains under strict capital controls, with weekly limits on cash withdrawals for Greek citizens. |
| Are you Greek? What do you think about the resignation of Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Are you Greek? What do you think about the resignation of Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or you can comment here: | Or you can comment here: |