Tsipras: Greeks Determined to Take Control of Their Own Destiny in Referendum

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras talks to the press after casting his ballot in a voting centre during a referendum in Athens, Greece, 5 July 2015. Photo EPA/BGNES

Greeks are determined to decide their own destiny in Sunday's bailout referendum, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said after casting his ballot in Athens.

"No one can ignore the will of the people to live, to live with determination, to take its destiny into its own hands," Tsipras said, according to AFP.

The outcome of the vote, which has been hard to forecast ever since Tsipras announced the holding of the referendum last week, could set the country's direction for decades.

“As of tomorrow we will have opened a new road for all the peoples of Europe, a road that leads back to the founding values of democracy and solidarity in Europe,” Tsipras said, according to Reuters.

In its coverage of the news, greekreporter.com highlighted Tsipras’ words that Greece had opened a path for other European nations to follow and that democracy had overcome fear in the search for solutions.

This week saw Greece close its banks to limit cash withdrawals to EUR 60 a day, fail to repay EUR 1.5 B loan instalment to the IMF and lose billions of euros when its bailout programme expired on 30 June. 

While Tsipras and his left-wing government has urged Greeks to vote ‘No’ to the latest bailout proposal made by Greece’s international creditors on 25 June, critics have said a rejection of the bailout package will be tantamount to the country exiting the eurozone.

Tsipras says a ‘No vote would strengthen his hand to negotiate a better deal, while supporters of a ‘Yes’ vote, including former prime minister Antonis Samaras say rejection of the proposal put forward by international lenders will put at risk Greece’s place in the eurozone.

Samaras, leader of opposition conservative party New Democracy cast his ballot in the referendum, saying: "We vote 'yes' to Greece. We vote 'yes' to Europe," according to AP.

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