The government’s decision to lift the restrictions on the voting of Greeks abroad, through a bill of the Ministry of the Interior, has caused intense mobility from the expatriate side.

The Forum of the presidents of secondary organizations of the USA, through an open letter, calls on the members of the Greek Parliament to remove all the restrictions provided by the legislation, while the letter also includes the request for the registration of the postal vote.

The letter was shared with the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, the Minister of the Interior Nikis Kerameos and the leaders of the parties participating in the new Parliament.

The Greek Community of Alexandria requested the support of the open letter from the expatriates everywhere by e-mail until yesterday Sunday, one day before the deadline for the public consultation of the relevant bill which has the title: “Removal of restrictions on registration in the special electoral lists of voters” foreign”.

According to expatriate websites, around 600,000 Greeks abroad from every corner of the world responded to the call, as well as dozens of expatriate communities and organizations.

The full text of the letter is as follows:

“Dear Members of Parliament of all parties,

Representing tens of thousands of Greeks abroad, we are addressing you with this open letter so that the voice of Omogenia can be heard everywhere.

Greek expatriates are the soul and voice of Greece abroad.

We love our homeland, paying taxes there, supporting our families and promoting Greece abroad at every opportunity.

We support our country in its national issues and we are its best ambassadors in the states that host us.

That is why we want to participate in shaping political life as defined by the Constitution.

We ask that all the restrictions of Law 4648 on the exercise of the right to vote of Greeks who anyway hold a Greek passport, are registered in the electoral rolls and can CONSTITUTIONALLY vote by coming home, be lifted immediately. Regardless of age and generation. So why not also from abroad. Permanent residents, workers, students and generally Greeks who are abroad on election day.

  • Cancellation of residence for a total of 2 years within the Greek Territory during the period of the last 35 years
  • Cancellation of filing a tax return in the current or previous tax year.
  • Adoption of Postal Ballot

We ask you to keep alive our multi-generational interest in what is happening, to keep alive our strong ties to the country. After all, the future of Greece is also our future.

We ask for nothing more than the exercise of the right granted to us by the Constitution. No delays, no loopholes. All we ask is to be able to exercise this right by voting from where we live. Just like the citizens of many other countries. Greeks abroad are neither, nor should they feel like second-class citizens.

Today it’s time to see how much consistency you have between words and actions.

We ask that the lifting of the unconstitutional restrictions be voted on by all 300 deputies.

This is a democratic debt and a historic opportunity, which is why the responsibility that falls on every Member of Parliament is great. It’s a question of democracy, beyond and above parties.”