Greek Referendum: Greece voters give a resounding No to creditors' austerity plans

யார் இந்தக் கிரேக்க கந்து வட்டியாளர்கள்!

Greek  creditors  who are they?

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Greek Referendum: Greece voters give a resounding No to creditors' austerity plans

By Joe Millis July 6, 2015 00:57 BST  Updated 4 hr ago 

Eurozone leaders have had to learn a new Greek word – Oxi, meaning "No" – after the country's voters delivered a resounding snub to its creditors' cash-for-reforms bailout proposals.

Asked: "Do you accept the outline of the agreement submitted by the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund at the Eurogroup of 25/06/15" – 61.31% of Greeks said No, while 38.69% responded in the affirmative.

As thousands of Greeks celebrated in Athens' central Syntagma Square, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who called the 5 July referendum, praised a "historic, brave choice" by Greek voters.

He added: "The mandate you've given me does not call for a break with Europe, but rather gives me greater negotiating strength.

"We know that there are no easy solutions but there are fair and viable solutions, as long as both sides have the will," he said. "We showed that even under the most difficult circumstances, democracy can't be blackmailed."

His Finance Minister, Yanis Varoufakis, dressed a grey T-shirt, told the nation that the country's creditors had planned to humiliate Greeks and to close the country's banks.

Greek referendum 5 July
Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis arrives to make a statement in Athens, Greece July 5, 2015. Greeks voted overwhelmingly "No" on Sunday in a historic bailout referendum, partial results showed, defying warnings from across Europe that rejecting new austerity terms for fresh financial aid would set their country on a path out of the euroReuters/Alkis Konstantinidis

"Today's 'no' is a big 'yes' to democratic Europe," he said. "The ultimatum has been returned to those who sent it," Varoufakis said. "Unfortunately over the past five months, creditors refused all substantial negotiations," he said.

"From tomorrow, with the brave 'No' that the Greek people gave us, we will offer a helping hand to our creditors, we will call on them one by one. From tomorrow, Europe, whose heart tonight beats in Greece, starts healing its wounds, our wounds," he added.

In response, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande called a special Eurozone summit for Tuesday 7 July to discuss the fallout and a future course of direction.

And European Council President Donald Tusk agreed, calling a eurozone summit. "I have called a euro summit Tuesday evening at 1800 [1700 BST] to discuss situation after referendum in Greece," Tusk tweeted.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will hold a conference call with Tusk, Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem and European Central Bank President Mario Draghi on the Greek situation on 6 July, the Commission said.