Greek Conservatives unable to form a government

[malaise]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2012/may/07/french-socialists-greece-voters-austerity-live
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2.02pm ET/7.02pm BST: The top vote-getter in Sunday's elections in Greece has announced that efforts to form a coalition government have failed.
Antonis Samaras' conservative New Democracy party garnered 18.9% of the vote. But the party cannot draw together sufficient allies to govern, the Guardian's Helena Smith reports.
"We did whatever was possible" Samaras told Greeks in a national address Monday night. He said he had reached out to every party with the exception of the extreme right Chrysi Avgi.

"I have informed the president [of the failed effots] and returned the mandate," Samaras said.

Now the Radical Left Coalition party, which came in second, will get a chance to put together a ruling alliance. RLC head Alexis Tsipras will have three days to seek a coalition.

If his talks fail, according to the Associated Press, the party that came in third in Sunday's vote will get the mandate. No agreement could force new elections next month.