Greeks deeply divided as they head for referendum

Athens, July 3 

Greeks took to the streets in their tens of thousands on Friday in rival rallies that laid bare the deep divide heading into a referendum that may decide the country's future in Europe's single currency.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, elected in January on a promise to end six years of austerity, extolled the nation in a televised address to reject the tough terms of an aid deal offered by international creditors to keep the country afloat. His European partners say a 'No' vote will jeopardise Greece's membership of the euro.

Tsipras says they are bluffing, fearing the fallout for Europe and the global economy. But a 'Yes' vote may bring him down, ushering in a new period of political instability for a country reeling from five days of shuttered banks and rationed cash withdrawals.

Repeating his assault on European partners he accused of blackmailing and issuing ultimatums to Greece, the leftist leader called for calm.

"On Sunday, what is at stake is not Greece's membership of Europe, what is at stake is whether blackmail will lead us to accept the continuation of a policy which the lenders themselves recognise is a dead end," he said.

His opponents accuse Tsipras of gambling Greece's future with a rapid-fire plebiscite that a major European rights watchdog says falls short of international standards of fairness.

Three opinion polls published on Friday had the 'Yes' vote marginally ahead; a fourth put the 'No' camp 0.5 per cent in front, but all were well within the margin of error. — Reuters