Voutsis calls in opposition parties to support referendum

The Greek interior minister called on all political parties to back his government’s decision to hold a referendum on bailout terms offered by the country’s foreign creditors for a cash-for-reforms deal that would stave off a looming default.

Addressing parliament, which convened on Saturday to approve the referendum plan, Interior Minister Nikos Voutsis said a unanimous approval for the referendum would make the country’s position in negotiations stronger.

After a week of acrimonious talks in Brussels, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras dismissed lenders’ proposals as blackmail. After midnight, he appeared on television on Saturday to announce plans for a referendum on July 5.