1968 Greek constitutional referendum

15 November 1968 (1968-11-15)
Results
Choice Votes % Yes 4,713,421 92.11% No 403,829 7.89% Valid votes 5,117,250 99.68% Invalid or blank votes 16,656 0.32% Total votes 5,133,906 100.00% Registered voters/turnout 6,606,111 77.71%

A constitutional referendum was held inGreece on 15 November 1968.^[1] Voters were asked whether they wished to ratify anew constitution prepared by thedictatorial regime. It was approved by 92.1% of voters, with a voter turnout of 77.7%.^[2]

A military junta, presided over by ColonelGeorgios Papadopoulos, had ruled Greece since a group of middle-ranking officersstaged a coup on 21 April 1967.King Constantine II reluctantly endorsed the coup, but started preparing for a counter-coup by elements of thearmed forces loyal to him. Thecounter-coup, launched on 13 December 1967, failed, and the King and theroyal family fled toItaly. In the aftermath of the royal coup attempt, the King was replaced by aregent, GeneralGeorgios Zoitakis, and Papadopoulos assumed the post ofPrime Minister.

On 16 December, Papadopoulos announced that the new constitution, which had been prepared by a committee of legal experts underCharilaos Mitrelias, President of theCouncil of State, was to be formally presented to the people on 16 March 1968, and subsequently confirmed by a plebiscite in summer. The original draft of the Mitrelias Committee, however, was deemed too liberal, and was heavily amended in the following months. In its final form, as presented on 11 July 1968, it retained themonarchy, but granted the armed forces autonomy from governmental and parliamentary control and entrusted them with the role of guardians of thestatus quo, it imposed restrictions on political parties and established a constitutional watchdog, the Constitutional Court, with wide-ranging powers, to regulate the country's political life.

The referendum itself was proclaimed for 29 September, and was regarded by the regime as a public vote of support on its policies. Participation was made obligatory and abstention punishable by imprisonment. The regime employed extensive propaganda in favour of a "yes" vote, while any opposition was silenced. The referendum's results were thus predictably in favour of the new constitution. The vote, despite obligatory participation, was still marked by a high abstention, which reached over 22%.

• 1968 referendums
• Greek junta
• Referendums in Greece
• 1968 in Greece
• 1960s in Greek politics
• Constitutional referendums
• November 1968 in Europe
• Constantine II of Greece

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