Voting begins in Greece’s parliamentary elections

Nearly 10 million Greek citizens are eligible to vote. The results of an exit poll conducted by six polling agencies will be announced at 10pm (19:00 GMT).

The election in Greece is being regarded as a snap election, as it is taking place a few weeks prior to the conclusion of the Mitsotakis cabinet's term. All 300 seats in the Hellenic Parliament will be contested.

This election marks a significant change, as it will be the first one since 1990 to not utilize a bonus seats system. The semi-proportional representation system was repealed in 2016. This alteration makes it challenging to form a coalition government due to disagreements among the parties. Consequently, many analysts believe that the likelihood of a second election later this year is high.

In the past few weeks, surveys have indicated a resurgence in the popularity of the New Democracy (ND) party. The ND party experienced a decline in popularity following a tragic train accident on February 28, which claimed the lives of at least 57 individuals near Tempi, a northern town.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the leader of the ruling New Democracy party and the current Prime Minister, is urging the Greek population to grant him a strong mandate to establish a single-party government. He promises that this government will bring about increased prosperity, stability, and safety. Mitsotakis claims that his government's policies, which he describes as bold and practical, have already begun to elevate Greece to new heights.

Conversely, the primary opposition party, SYRIZA, has centered its election campaign around two significant themes. Firstly, they highlight corruption and wiretapping scandals, with the latter being dubbed the "Greek Watergate." They accuse the current government of severely undermining the rule of law and democracy during its tenure. SYRIZA pledges to restore democracy and uphold institutional integrity in Greece. (ILKHA)