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Today: Thessaloniki votes on water privatization

An unofficial referendum on water ownership

Thessaloniki's water company is about to sold to a private mulitnational but referendum organisers hope results of unofficial poll on keeping water public will be heeded.

The citizens of Thessaloniki will have the opportunity to participate in a unique experiment in democracy today, when they will be invited to vote in an unofficial referendum on water privatisation while casting their ballot in the local and regional elections.

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Update:

According to some info, the Greek government threatened to arrest those who will make the referendum outside the buildings of the local elections! The Leftist parties SYRIZA and former government coalition party DIMAR reacted against this decision. Officials of local authorities have also reacted against this decision, among them, current Thessaloniki mayor, Yiannis Boutaris.

Additionally, 28 European observers arrived in Thessaloniki to support the referendum, characterised this decision as a huge problem for democracy far from the European standards.

http://www.tvxs.gr/news/ellada/%C2%ABfreno%C2%BB-sto-dimopsifisma-gia-nero-bazei-i-kybernisi

  Update:

“Meanwhile, in Thessaloniki an unofficial referendum on the privatization of the city’s water company will go ahead, despite interior ministry objections.”

“Municipalities backing the plebiscite said they would place ballot boxes outside polling stations after the ministry said they could not be set up inside. In addition, referendum organisers will use municipal registers, and not the official electoral register, during the poll, as the ministry said this was illegal and anyone doing so faced arrest.”

“As part of the terms of the troika memorandum, in 2011 the government announced its plans to privatise Eyath, the state-managed company that provides the city's 1.5 million inhabitants with water and sanitation services. Although the referendum is non-binding, those behind it hope that the result will send a clear message that Thessalonikians want water to remain in public ownership. They cite the example of 86 cities worldwide that have successfully overturned privatisation and remunicipalised the water supply.”

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