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Voting close in Greek referendum, media polls show slight No lead

Polls have closed in what is expected to be a very tight referendum on bailout proposals in Greec...
Newstalk
Newstalk

06.50 5 Jul 2015


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Voting close in Greek referend...

Voting close in Greek referendum, media polls show slight No lead

Newstalk
Newstalk

06.50 5 Jul 2015


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Polls have closed in what is expected to be a very tight referendum on bailout proposals in Greece.

Counting is underway in Athens and across the country, with exit polls due in about an hour and a clear result by late tonight.

A number of media polls - not exit polls - have been released now that the reporting moratorium has been lifted, and all show a slight lead for the No side.

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From Athens, Newstalk's Shona Murray reports:

The Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras earlier cast his vote in the crucial referendum which could determine his country's future in the eurozone.

Greeks are voting on whether to accept the terms demanded by the country's international creditors for a now-expired bailout.

Opinion polls suggest the "Yes" and "No" camps are neck-and-neck.

Polls showed the No side gaining momentum in the last two days, but the result is still too close to call.

It is the the first referendum in the country in four decades.

After casting his ballot, Alexis Tsipras told reporters no one could ignore the resolve of his people:

President Pavlopoulos is urging Greeks to stick together regardless of the result which will be known late tonight.

The anti-austerity Syriza government led by Mr Tsipras has campaigned for a No vote, and the Prime Minister has insisted a No vote would allow his government to push for a better bailout package.

The premier has strongly indicated he will step down if the Greek people back the terms offered by the EU, the IMF and the European Central Bank.

Syriza sources have told Newstalk that a return to the drachma is inevitable if emergency liquidity assistance is not provided by the ECB – to be decided tomorrow.

Many Greek shoppers have been panic buying from supermarkets ahead of the vote - purchasing essentials such as pasta and flour.

Irish politicians Paul Murphy and Pearse Doherty have traveled to Greece for today's vote.

The Socialist and Sinn Féin TDs are both hopeful that Greece will reject the terms of the bailout deal with the Troika.

Speaking from Athens, Paul Murphy says the outcome is likely to be a close one:

Speaking on the Sunday Show here on Newstalk, Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty is worried Syriza is under threat:

Default

On Friday, Greece was officially declared in default by the European Financial Stability Facility - days after the nation fell into arrears with the International Monetary Fund.

Banks across the country have been closed over the past week, with customers only able to withdraw €60 a day from cash machines.

Yesterday, as the crucial referendum loomed, Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis accused creditors of "terrorism" by instilling a sense of fear in voters.

Campaigning was not allowed in the 24 hours before voting began.

In a final mass rally held in Athens on Friday night, Mr Tsipras had told a 25,000-strong crowd: "On Sunday, we don't just decide to stay in Europe - we decide to live with dignity in Europe, to work and prosper in Europe."

There have been warnings that a No vote could see Greece leave the eurozone.

"Yes" supporters fear a so-called "Grexit" would also mean a return to Greece's former currency, the drachma, if Mr Tsipras gets his way.

The question is:

"Must the agreement plan submitted by the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund to the Eurogroup of 25 June, 2015, and comprised of two parts which make up their joint proposal, be accepted?

"The first document is titled 'reforms for the completion of the current program and beyond' and the second 'Preliminary debt sustainability analysis.'"

Voters are being asked to tick one of two boxes: "not approved/no" and - below it - "approved/yes."


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