By Ilias Karagiannis.
Greece’s Deputy Interior Minister, Theodoros Livanios, is the driving force behind the new draft bill for the Greek diaspora vote, which was put to public consultation on Monday.
The aim of the bill is to remove the restrictions for Greeks abroad who are registered in the electoral rolls and wish to vote in Greece’s national elections from their place of residence.
Mr Livanios worked in collaboration with the new Minister of the Interior Niki Kerameus to make the proposed bill possible.
In an exclusive statement to The Greek Herald, Mr Livanios expressed his optimism for the approval of the bill, while revealing his feelings around how some Greeks in Australia travelled thousands of kilometres to exercise their right to vote.
“In 2019, with Law 4648, we gave for the first time the possibility to Greeks living outside the country to exercise their right to vote wherever they are,” Mr Livanios said in his exclusive statement.
“Thanks to this first but important step, we saw in the recent elections our fellow citizens on all continents participating, at last, in the highest expression of our democratic polity, travelling with a smile even thousands of kilometres, as in Australia, to reach Melbourne or Sydney. It was a particularly moving moment.
“Now is the time to take the next step. Let’s make this process easier for everyone. With the draft law, which is already under public consultation, we are putting an end to the criteria that hindered the voting of Greek citizens outside the country.
“We had already committed to doing this in 2019, when the parliamentary conditions allowed it. We are optimistic that we will succeed.
“The goal is to now enable all those who are registered in the electoral rolls, without restrictions, to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed right. For all Greeks to come closer to us, wherever they live.”
