With a surprise amendment the Interior Ministry decided to extend the postal vote for Greeks living abroad also to national elections, just two days before the voting at the Parliament. The amendment triggered the outrage of the opposition parties who had consented to postal vote for the European Parliament elections only as the original bill foresaw.
The amendment establishes postal vote as the exclusive method of voting for national elections by Greeks living in other countries.
In addition, it sets the day after the official announcement of national elections as the deadline for registration to vote by mail. It expands the right to postal voting beyond European Parliamentary elections and referendums.
According to the text submitted, the method will only be available to those living outside Greece, who must be registered in the special mail-in lists and provide a foreign address.
Based on the Greek constitution, the amendment will need to be supported by at least 200 deputies, that is a two-thirds majority, and its provisions will go into effect in the next national elections.
Opposition parties raised their objections with PASOK/KINA accusing the government of “torpedoing consensus” reached among the parties regarding postal vote for the European Parliament elections.
It should be noted that the bill for the postal vote was passed by the competent Committee of the Parliament with the consent of SYRIZA and PASOK/KINAL KKE, Niki and New Left voted against the bill in the Committee, while the Greek Solution, Spartans and Freedom Course expressed reservations
Opposition reactions
PASOK/KINAL secretary Andreas Spyropoulos said that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was again demonstrating that he does “not respect the big picture, which is to reach unanimity between the political forces before such major changes.”
Speaking to ANT1 TV, Spyropoulos spoke of the government’s “legislative inconsistencies” on the specific matter, underlining: “I can’t understand why a citizen who votes at his town’s school will not have to go to the ballot box and we will offer him the alternative of a postal vote, and this only in the European elections.”
Party leader Nikos Androulakis demanded the withdrawal of the amendment.
SYRIZA
“With our responsible attitude in the detailed processing of the postal voting bill, which was expressed with proposals and amendments, we deconstructed the alleged sovereignty and “exclusivity” of the New Democracy in representing the rights of expatriates,” said MP Giota Poulou and accused the government of making “cheap tricks.”
According to political analysts, the government has wrongly handled the issue.
The relevant vote is scheduled to be held in the Plenary of the Parliament on Wednesday, January 24, 2024.
Without the votes also of opposition parties, the bill cannot pass as ruling New Democracy has 158 MPs.
