Ahead of Monday’s submission of a bill instituting the postal vote to Parliament, Interior Minister Niki Kerameus has described the stance of major opposition parties, which have accepted the measure in principle, as a “promising signal for our political system.”
In an interview with Kathimerini’s Sunday edition, Kerameus also dismissed criticism from some quarters of the opposition that establishing postal voting is nothing more than an electoral stunt, which could also compromise the soundness of elections because private postal companies will participate.
“The bill was accepted in principle by New Democracy, SYRIZA and PASOK, while Course for Freedom has also taken a positive position. This broad consensus is a promising signal for our political system and the ability to agree on issues of democracy. Therefore, far from being an electoral ploy, this is a major democratic reform by a large majority of the national parliament that makes it easier to exercise the right to vote and deepens democracy,” she said.
Postal voting, she added, is practiced in a significant number of countries, which is precisely why the government has been able to adopt the best practices and incorporate additional safeguards ensuring secrecy and transparency.
Regarding the participation of private postal service providers, Kerameus insisted that the standards will be very strict and, in any case, there is no way they can interfere with a voter’s choices.
The specific legislative initiative concerns the European elections and referendums, with national elections to be discussed at a later date.
