Who is electable?
In order to be elected as a Parliamentary Deputy one must be a Greek citizen, have the legal capacity to vote and be aged over 25 on Election Day. A Parliamentary Deputy who does not meet any of these conditions will automatically be deprived of office.
Nomination of candidates – Supporting Documents
Candidates may be nominated by voters in each constituency. The nomination should be made in writing and signed by a minimum of 12 voters. The person being nominated should accept his nomination in person or via his/her authorised representative. Candidates are also entitled to submit their own nomination in writing in person or via their authorised representative.
No one may submit or accept a nomination in more than one constituency. The leader or president of a political party or coalition of parties is entitled, by way of derogation to this rule, to submit or accept nomination in two constituencies. The nomination should set out the name, surname, father’s name, position and precise address of the nominee.
The nomination or statement of acceptance of nomination should be accompanied by a Solemn Statement from the person nominating him/herself or the person nominated by voters or his/her authorised representative stating a) the municipality in Greece in whose Register of Males or Municipal Roll the candidate is registered, b) his/her date and year of birth where this needs to be confirmed, c) that he/she has not been deprived of the right to vote and that he/she has not submitted nor accepted nomination in another constituency. Any person making false representations shall be prosecuted accordingly.
The power of attorney to submit a nomination or accept nomination by voters should be a special power of attorney established by means of notarial deed. The nomination made by authorised representative and the statement accepting nomination by voters made by authorised representative should in all events be accompanied by the notarial power of attorney.
The nomination for each candidate should also be accompanied by a payment receipt for the sum of € 146.74 from a tax office.
Nominations should be served by candidates themselves or by voters using a court process server on the President of the court responsible for announcing candidates at the latest 9 days after the commencement of the pre-election period.
If the 12 voter signatures, the candidate’s acceptance of nomination or his signature or that of his authorised representative, the payment receipt or any of the other particulars required are missing, the nomination shall not be accepted
Announcement of nominations
10 days after the commencement of the pre-election period the competent court shall announce the names of candidates ex parte .
Impediments
Salaried civil functionaries and servants, other employees of the State, persons serving in the Armed Forces and in the Security Forces, employees of Local Government Authorities or other public law bodies corporate, mayors and community presidents, governors, assistant governors or chairpersons of Boards of Directors, or managing or executive directors of public law bodies corporate or state-run private law bodies corporate or public corporations or enterprises whose management team is directly or indirectly appointed by the State by means of ministerial decision or as a result of exercise of its rights as shareholder or local government corporations may not be nominated as candidates nor elected as Parliamentary Deputies if they do not resign from their office before being nominated as candidates. Resignation is effective from submission thereof in writing. Military officers who have resigned may not return to active service. Mayors and community presidents may not be nominated as candidates nor elected as Parliamentary Deputies during the term of office for which they were elected even if they have resigned.
University professors are exempt from the restrictions contained in the previous paragraph. The exercise of the duties of professor shall be suspended for the duration of the parliamentary term and the manner of replacement of professors elected to Parliament shall be specified by law.
The following persons may not be nominated as candidates nor be elected as Parliamentary Deputies in any constituency in which they have served or in any constituency falling within their local jurisdiction during the last 18 months of the four-year Parliamentary term:
a ) Governors, assistant governors, chairpersons of Boards of Directors, managing and executive directors of public law bodies corporate or state-run private law bodies corporate or public corporations or other enterprises whose management team is directly or indirectly appointed by the State by means of ministerial decision or as a result of exercise of its rights as shareholder
b) Members of independent agencies established and operating pursuant to Article 101A of the Constitution as well as agencies characterised by law as independent or regulatory authorities.
c ) Senior and high-ranking officers in the Armed forces and security forces.
d ) Salaried employees of the State, Local Government Authorities and their corporations, as well as employees of the legal entities and enterprises cited in case (a) holding the post of supervisor of a unit at directorate or other similar level, as specifically defined by law. Employees cited in the previous indent who exercised more wide-ranging local powers shall also be subject to the restrictions in this paragraph in relation to constituencies other than those of their seat only where they held the position of a unit at general directorate or other similar level as specifically defined by law.
e ) General or special secretaries of Ministries or of independent general secretariats or regions and all persons equated by law with them.
Persons nominated as State Deputies are not subject to the restrictions set out in this section.
4. Civil servants and the military in general, having undertaken the obligation by law to remain in service for a certain period of time, may not stand for election nor be elected to Parliament during the period of such obligation.
Resignation from positions that constitute an impediment to election
Resignation from service and from positions which constitute an impediment to election to the office of Parliamentary Deputy should be submitted in writing served by court process server on the President of the court responsible for announcing candidates before the date on which such announcement is to be made.
Any letter of resignation served may not be revoked. Service thereof shall entail automatic acceptance. The President of the court shall dispatch the letter of resignation to the competent authority to which it relates without delay.
Where the relevant provisions require that a decision accepting the letter of resignation be published in the Government Gazette, the competent authority is under obligation to promptly publish a summary thereof containing the name-surname, position or office held by that person before resigning or in the case of a military officer, the rank and fighting service or unit to which he/she belonged, as well as the date on which the letter of resignation was served on the President of the competent court.
Military officers who resigned in accordance with the procedure above and who were not elected as Parliamentary Deputies may be recalled to active service as reservists while persons elected may not be recalled to active service before the commencement of proceedings of the 1st Session of the new Parliament. The approval of the Parliament for this is needed.
A reserve officer on active service shall be taken as having been automatically discharged from the ranks of the Army from the date on which he submitted his candidature or was nominated by voters. If not elected as a Parliamentary Deputy he may be recalled at any time. However, if elected he may not be recalled to active service before the 1st Session of the new Parliament commences its proceedings. The approval of the Parliament for this is needed. The President of the competent court shall promptly notify the reserve officer’s senior officers and the Ministry of Defence that a nomination has been submitted or accepted by him.
