Greek Prime Minister urges a 'No' vote from citizens

To accept the debt draft deal with creditors or reject lenders’ programme? The ballot will decide for Greece today

Athens: Greece is set to vote in a referendum today to decide whether to accept the debt draft deal with international creditors to restart financial aid to the country or reject the lenders’ programme that requires Greeks to accept further austerity measures and economic reforms.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at a rally in Athens. Pic/AFP

According to the International Monetary Fund, the Greek debt load is unsustainable and it needs a debt relief in exchange for reforms and a new 50-billion euro ($5.5 billion) financing package until 2018 to stay afloat. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has urged a ‘No’ vote from citizens, saying it would strengthen the government’s hands in debt talks with creditors.

Earlier on Thursday, the Leftist leader said he was confident that the reforms-for-cash debt deal Greece has been seeking for five months with creditors will be reached within 48 hours after today’s referendum regardless of the result. European leaders say that such a result may well lead to Greece’s exit from the Eurozone.

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