Greek ‘No’ vote in referendum rises to over 61%

Athens - Over 61 per cent of Greek voters on Sunday rejected fresh austerity demands by the country’s EU-IMF creditors in a historic referendum, official results from 50 per cent of polling stations showed.
Greece will extend a “hand of cooperation” to its EU-IMF creditors, Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said after the referendum.
“With this brave ‘No’ bequeathed by the Greek people... with this tool, we will extend a hand of help, of cooperation to our peers,” Varoufakis said.
Thousands of government supporters have gathered in celebration in Athens’ main square, waving Greek flags and chanting “No, No” after returns show their side leading in referendum.
Vendors have set up stalls to sell kebabs, sandwiches, whistles and Greek flags in Syntagma square in front of parliament.
Athens resident Yiannis Gkovesis, holding a large Greek flag, said “we don’t want austerity measures anymore. This has been happening for the last five years and it has driven so many into poverty. We simply can’t take any more austerity.”
The 26-year-old Gkovesis said “if the Europeans really wanted Greece to stand on its feet, then they could have done so without imposing such harsh measures.”
Supporters of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ Syriza party staged the rally two days after he drew massive crowds to his final campaign rally — also in front of parliament.
The head of the socialist grouping in the European Parliament has called for new negotiations with Greece in a spirit of “solidarity and cooperation” after returns show the “no” side leading in the bailout referendum.
Gianni Pittella said that the socialists would “expect the Greek government to come back to the negotiations with a renewed responsible attitude.”
He acknowledged the international lenders would also have to show a new approach.
Pittella said that “it will also be time for some member states and ministers to stop with unacceptable rigidity, national selfishness and domestic political games.