Half a million Greeks unable to vote in referendum
EXCLUSIVE / At least half a million Greeks are unable to vote in a referendum widely perceived as a choice on whether or not to remain in the eurozone, unless they return to Greece before Sunday’s poll.
There is no provision under Greek law to allow for voting abroad. Instead, Greeks must travel home to where they hold their voting rights to make their voices heard.
Since the 2007-8 financial crisis, 505,666 Greeks have left Greece, which has suffered two bailouts and years of harsh austerity and high unemployment, according to Eurostat, the European Union’s statistical office.
But the true figure of disenfranchised Greeks is likely to be even higher, because Eurostat does not have figures for 2007, 2009, 2014 or 2015.
Sunday’s referendum is officially on whether or not to accept new bailout terms offered by Greece’s creditors. But it is seen in practice as a vote on whether or not to remain in Eurozone.
http://www.euractiv.com/sections/euro-finance/half-million-greeks-unable-vote-referendum-315990
