Ex army chief calls for petition, referendum on name deal, voting right for overseas Greeks

The honorary chief of the Hellenic Army, Frangos Frangoulis, has called for a petition to be carried out for the submission of the recent Macedonia name deal to a referendum.

In an open letter made public on Monday, Frangoulis, also broaches the issue of voting rights for Greeks living overseas, which the government decided not to legislate at this time following a proposal by conservative New Democracy for the right to be extended.

"I invite you and ask you that we unite our voices, that we all give our signatures to ensure that the right to vote is given without delay to diaspora Greeks, who are pure patriots and think about the nation above all and not the party games of each successive government," Frangoulis wrote.

"So let us go door-to-door, gathering signatures, for the right for diaspora Greeks to vote and for a referendum on the unacceptable national deal between Tsipras and Zaev," he said, referring Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his counterpart from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Zoran Zaev.