“In the European elections of 2024, fifty years after the restoration of democracy in our country, there will be no obstacle, legal or real, for the participation of all Greeks, in Greece and abroad, in the electoral process,” said the Minister of the Interior Niki Kerameosat the first meeting of the Committee on Public Administration, Public Order and Justice on it bill “Election of MEPs, facilitation of voters through postal voteliquidation of electoral rolls and other provisions of the Ministry of the Interior”.

With the proposed provisions, it is possible to universally exercise the right to vote by postal vote, without restrictions, either inside or outside the territory.

Niki Kerameos, referred to those who raise the issue of giving all Greek citizens who are within the Greek territory, the possibility of postal voting without restrictions. “I will reverse the question: Why should there be restrictions? Do we want or do we not want to make it easier to vote? Do we want to remove the practical difficulties faced by our fellow citizens? I think we want,” said the Minister of the Interior, who emphasized that all measures have been taken for the safe exercise of the right to vote.

“The postal vote is not a right, left or centrist measure. It is a measure of deepening democracy” said Niki Kerameos and cited the surveys that show that more than 70% of citizens are positive about the application of postal voting.

“With this bill, all obstacles are removed for those who have the right to vote, legally and in fact, to exercise their right to vote, wherever they are on election day, in Greece or abroad. We do not grant the right to vote, we facilitate the exercise of the already existing right to vote. With a simple but absolutely guaranteed procedure, all Greeks who have the right to vote and live abroad, as well as those who live in Greece and wish to, can now vote without having to move, without having to spend money,” said Niki Kerameos.

Regarding the mood with which the government approaches the Parliament in dialogue, the Minister of the Interior assured the parties that the political leadership is open to proposals and even seeks the participation of the parties to optimize the exercise of the right to vote.

The Minister of the Interior made a discrete reference to the provisions for the liquidation of the electoral rolls and explained: “The problem has been discussed for decades. This distorted image of participation or, respectively, abstinence. A distorted picture because Greek citizens who have the right to vote and were abroad, have died without the Greek authorities being informed. This creates a distorted image and for this reason a detailed process of clearing electoral rolls is proposed that will concern those over 80 years old, who have not submitted a tax return, do not receive a pension, and of course will always be able to appear and vote”.

The opposition is asking for time for a comfortable discussion

The change in the way seats are distributed in the European Parliament, the guarantee of the validity and secrecy of the electoral process by postal vote, but also the universal right to vote for Greek citizens within the Greek territory, i.e. not only for those with vulnerable characteristics, is at the peak of interest in the political dialogue that is developing from today in the competent parliamentary committee.

At the beginning of the meeting, the president of Freedom of Navigation, Zoe Konstantopoulou, requested that there be no shortening of the procedures for the elaboration of the bill.

Previously, the chairman of the Committee on Public Administration, Public Order and Justice, Lazaros Tsavdaridis, had proposed that, tomorrow Tuesday, the committee hold two meetings, one meeting, at ten in the morning, for the hearing of stakeholders and another meeting, at two in the afternoon, for the discussion of the articles. He also proposed that the second reading of the bill be done next Thursday in the committee, in order for the bill to be introduced, for discussion in the Plenary next Monday and possibly Tuesday.

“I will invite the two ministers and the committee to make a good start and not to repeat fast track procedures that nullify the concept of parliamentary processing and procedure. The minister and the deputy minister are the only ministers of the government who set a very good example that should be imitated by the other ministers and the prime minister himself who does not come to answer the topical questions I have addressed to him. The bill is very serious, it concerns a proposal that must be looked at carefully, it has very serious provisions, such as the provisions on the allocation of seats, it is not right to discuss it with impermissible abbreviations. We have proposals to guarantee the secrecy of the vote and its validity. We see positively the initiative for the postal vote, but we must look carefully at the provisions, such as the change in the way seats are distributed in the European Parliament, which is a lion in favor of the first party”, said the president of Plefsis Eleftheria and noted that the Regulations stipulate that at least 24 hours must elapse from the summoning of bodies and therefore bodies cannot be heard before next Wednesday.

“I completely agree that postal voting is a very important reform that needs special attention. We have 24 hours to hear from the operators. So it’s enough time I think. Of course, it is a very important bill, but there has been a lot of discussion on the issue of lifting the restrictions on the right to vote. In 2019, there was a wide-ranging discussion around the issue of lifting the restrictions, which the bill aims at. But also in 2023, there was a discussion about the absolute possibility of citizens’ choice,” said ND rapporteur Kostas Giulekas.

“The fact that a bill is coming to amend provisions passed by this House shows that time is needed. It is crucial that the procedures are followed and that there are no shortcuts”, said PASOK-KINAL special buyer Panagiotis Doudonis who noted that critical issues such as the allocation of seats are also being regulated.

“And in this bill, the consultation was with fast track procedures. And we want all the time to be given for the best possible discussion”, said SYRIZA-PS rapporteur Yota Poulos

“There is absolutely no reason to go to a fast-track debate on a subject that has not been extensively debated either in the Parliament or in public discourse. In 2019, when the facilitation of the vote of Greeks abroad was discussed, it concerned the criteria and did not concern the postal vote. Postal voting applies to both overseas and domestic voters and introduces a whole new logic to the electoral process. Therefore, an extensive discussion is required”, said the expert buyer of KKE Yiannis Giokas.

The special buyer of “Niki” Giorgos Apostolakis demanded strict observance of the procedures.

“Perhaps in the period 2010-2018, when the country was under trusteeship, one could understand shortening of deadlines, due to the exceptional bankruptcy conditions. There is no longer any argument justifying abbreviations. Within four days there can be no detailed discussion on very specialized procedures. We must give the time to discuss critical issues such as the change in the way seats are distributed in the European Parliament”, said New Left expert buyer Dimitris Tzanakopoulos.

“The ministry has proven that it respects dialogue. We started discussing the bill before it was even put to consultation. Even comments submitted in good faith were incorporated. We invited the KKE to the dialogue and it did not come. Fast Track procedures have never existed. The postal vote had a prominent place in 2019, and in 2021 and 2023”, said the Minister of the Interior Niki Kerameos and added: “We have asked the president of the Parliament to allocate more time to the Plenary. There is also the planning of the Parliament, however.” Niki Kerameos said, however, that there is a good mood for tomorrow’s hearing of agencies to be moved in order to observe the 24 hours from today’s committee meeting and to have time convenience.

The president of the Committee, Lazaros Tsavdaridis, cited the decisions of the Conference of Presidents, that the bill will be introduced in the Plenary next Monday and that there will be a second session in the Plenary, if required, and next Tuesday. After the positive option of the political leadership of the Ministry of the Interior to hold a discussion with ease of time and the objections of the parties, Mr. Tsavdaridis finally announced that the hearing of stakeholders will take place next Wednesday at noon, followed by a meeting on the articles and the second reading will take place on Friday.