“By 2023 you will finally be able to vote from your permanent place of residence,” Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, told the Greek-American community of Astoria during his visit to New York.
One of the key points of the Prime Minister’s speech in Agios Dimitrios Church was the reference to the vote of Greeks living abroad, an issue that several governments have tried to solve in the last years, however, without success so far.
Voting possibility for diaspora Greeks is ” essentially a facilitation,” Mitsotakis stressed.
“The electoral rolls do not change, as they are updated every two months. We are not changing the procedures for granting Greek citizenship. But we make it easier for those living abroad to vote from their permanent place of residence,” he added.
“Their vote will normally be counted and added to the total votes. We will increase the number of MP elected nationwide ( Επικρατείας) and without cross of preference from 12 to 15, which is allowed by the Constitution,” he said.
He added that some of these MPs will be members of Diaspora Greeks, so that they will have “a secured and guaranteed voice within the Greek Parliament.”
“By 2023 you will finally be able to vote from your permanent place of residence,” Mitsotakis heralded amid loud applaud, reports greeknewsonline.
The issue refers to Greeks registered in electoral rolls, that is Greek citizens living abroad or those holding a Greek passport living outside Greece.
Considered is a ballot by mail.
Beginning of the month, Interior Minister, Takis Theodorikakos, said that the draft law on the issue is expected to be ready by mid October.
The next parliamentary elections are to be held in 2023.
Next to the millions of traditional Diaspora Greeks in USA and Australia, there are some half a million Greeks who left the country during the economic crisis years seeking a better future abroad.
Source: Keeptalkinggreece
